It is officially the bye week on the Plains as the Auburn Tigers are idle this Saturday following five weeks of action to kick off the season.
Alex Golesh’s squad heads into the bye week sitting at 3-2 on the season, coming off of a 24-14 loss on the road to the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium, a game that saw Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop rush for a career high 220 yards and three touchdowns.
Auburn now is in full prep to hit the road next weekend for a game against the Georgia Bulldogs, who take on the Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Following the game against the Bulldogs, the Tigers will close out the month of October with a home game against LSU and a road game at Ole Miss.
With no game for Auburn, the Auburn Undercover staff continues on with another round of predictions for the coming week, which includes our game of the week and nine other games from around the nation.
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Current standings:
1. Caleb (41-19)
2. Tyler (40-20)
3. Ryan (38-22)
4. Ronnie (31-29)
5. Jay (28-32)
Georgia (-20.5) vs. Auburn
Tyler: Georgia
This game to me seems pretty straightforward, and not in a way that favors Auburn. The Bulldogs are scoring nearly 20 more points per game on average and carry the third-highest average yards per game in the SEC. Combine that with the fact that there is a deep running back room in Athens that will go every which way to get past the Tigers defense, and this seems like a replica of what Florida and Tennessee did, just to a much greater extent.
The Auburn offense struggled with crowd noise in Knoxville two weeks ago, and you can be sure the folks in red and black are going to be just as rowdy, if not more. In order for the Tigers to win this game, they need to be efficient on offense, create turnovers on defense and prevent explosive plays from happening—all that and then some at least. I like Georgia to make it 10 in a row on Saturday in this series.
Ryan: Georgia
The Bulldogs are riding high after Kirby Smart’s third win over Alabama as the head coach of Georgia. Even more helpful for the boys from Athens is that they are back home, and the offense is much more improved than msot thought.
Auburn is still trying to get quarterback Byrum Brown to process faster, get the ball out quicker and more accurately. Can it rally off a bye week and be refreshed and play loose and fun? Maybe. But I’m taking Georgia.
Caleb: Georgia
This one is an easy decision. Auburn has not won in Athens since 2005 and that streak gets extended this weekend.
The Tigers’ offense already struggles to get the ball moving, and facing a defense that allows an average of 15.3 points per game in SEC play, the challenge becomes greater.
Meanwhile, Auburn is facing one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. Gunner Stockton's completion percentage is 76.6%, which ranks second in the nation of quarterbacks with more than 100 pass attempts this season. Combine that with an uber talented running back room, and it becomes a difficult two-dimensional offense to defend.
Jay: Georgia
Georgia enters this game of substantial win, on the road, against Alabama. Auburn comes in off a bye week but is a significant underdog. I'm thinking the Bulldogs could play one of their worst games just coming off the high of last week. The Tigers have nothing to lose, so I expect them to come out much like they did last year and be able to punch Georgia in the mouth and be able to hang with them. At the end of the day, the Bulldogs win because their talent will show and their program is more experienced when it comes to winning.
Ronnie: Georgia
Auburn faces its toughest challenge of the season Saturday when the Tigers travel to Athens to take on top-ranked Georgia. Coming off a bye week, Auburn has had an opportunity to regroup, get healthier and make some adjustments before facing one of the most talented and complete teams in college football. For the Tigers to have a chance, they must establish some consistency offensively, avoid costly turnovers and find ways to sustain drives that keep Georgia's offense on the sideline. Just as important, Auburn must withstand the early surge that typically comes with playing in a hostile road environment against the nation's No. 1 team.
Defensively, Auburn will have to be disciplined, tackle well in space and limit the explosive plays that can quickly turn a competitive game into a one-sided affair. The Tigers have shown enough fight this season to believe they can make things interesting, but doing so against Georgia for four quarters is an entirely different challenge. Auburn needs to play its cleanest and most complete game of the season, particularly in the red zone and on special teams, to have an opportunity to pull off the upset. I expect the Tigers to compete and have their moments, but Georgia's depth, physicality and home-field advantage will ultimately prove too much.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
Indiana vs. Ohio State (-3.5)
Tyler: Ohio State
This will likely be a better game than I anticipate it being, but the athlete that Jeremiah Smith is and the play the Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has been putting on has been nothing short of the Buckeyes standard. Curt Cignetti and Indiana have remained undefeated, but have had a couple of close scares where the Hoosiers started slow and had to expend a ton of energy to bounce back. I think that will once again happen this week, allowing Ohio State to play its brand of football. I like Ryan Day’s squad by 10.
Ryan: Ohio State
Last season, Indiana was the best coaching job of all-time over Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, their magical run will come to an end due to the talent of Jeremiah Smith, who in my opinion is the best wide receiver prospect in college football since Calvin Johnson. Give me the Buckeyes by 10 points in Bloomington.
Caleb: Ohio State
Indiana is riding the longest win streak in the country with 22-straight victories. However, Ohio State is the more tested team, already playing in a tough road environment this season against Texas. While that outcome didn't favor the Buckeyes, I'm picking Ohio State to finish the job this weekend and avenge last season's Big 10 Championship loss.
Jay: Indiana
Indiana has not won a regular season matchup against Ohio State since 1988. It shocked the world last year by beating the Buckeyes in the Big 10 Championship en-route to the national title. I think the Hoosiers hav the advantage in coaching and home field. The Buckeyes may be more talented, but I think this will be the toughest game for Ohio State this year. Indiana showed what it was made of in last week's comeback win against Nebraska. I'm rolling with the Hoosiers.
Ronnie: Ohio State
Two of the nation's top five teams square off in Bloomington in a matchup that could have major implications for both the Big Ten championship race and the College Football Playoff. Ohio State brings its usual combination of speed, athleticism and talent, but Indiana has established itself as a legitimate national contender and won't be intimidated by the Buckeyes. The Hoosiers will have the home crowd behind them, and I expect this to be a physical, competitive game that comes down to execution in the fourth quarter. Both teams should have opportunities to make big plays, but I give Ohio State a slight edge because of its overall talent advantage.
Other games:
LSU (-14) vs. Mississippi State
Tyler: LSU
Ryan: Mississippi State
Caleb: LSU
Jay: LSU
Ronnie: LSU
Kansas State (-4.5) vs. Kansas
Tyler: Kansas State
Ryan: Kansas State
Caleb: Kansas State
Jay: Kansas
Ronnie: Kansas State
Tennessee vs. Alabama (-8.5)
Tyler: Alabama
Ryan: Alabama
Caleb: Alabama
Jay: Tennessee
Ronnie: Tennessee
Ole Miss (-6) vs. Missouri
Tyler: Ole Miss
Ryan: Ole Miss
Caleb: Ole Miss
Jay: Ole Miss
Ronnie: Missouri
BYU vs. Notre Dame (-10.5)
Tyler: Notre Dame
Ryan: BYU
Caleb: Notre Dame
Jay: BYU
Ronnie: Notre Dame
UCLA (-2.5) vs. Wisconsin
Tyler: UCLA
Ryan: Wisconsin
Caleb: UCLA
Jay: UCLA
Ronnie: UCLA
Oklahoma (-7) vs. Kentucky
Tyler: Kentucky
Ryan: Kentucky
Caleb: Kentucky
Jay: Kentucky
Ronnie: Kentucky
Houston (-4.5) vs. Oklahoma State
Tyler: Houston
Ryan: Houston
Caleb: Houston
Jay: Oklahoma State
Ronnie: Houston
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
