Auburn should show slight improvement

An SEC championship? BCS bowl berth?

Most Auburn fans would just be happy with a bowl berth in 2009 after last year’s debacle.

Auburn was picked by many to win the SEC West last year, yet finished the season 5-7 overall and just 2-6 in the SEC. One of the win’s was a 3-2 snoozefest against Mississippi State.

Auburn has a new coaching staff led by Gene Chizik, the former AU defensive coordinator who led Iowa State for two seasons before coming back to the Plains. There’s also a new attitude on campus.

But will it translate to wins?

n Sept. 5, against Louisiana Tech: LT coach Derek Dooley was one of many names mentioned as a candidate for the AU job. He’s an up-and-coming coach who will likely lead a major college one day.

Auburn fans won’t be able to chalk this game up as an automatic win. The Bulldogs stunned Mississippi State last season on national television. But AU should be good enough to win Chizik’s first game. AU 24, LT 15

n Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State: The Dawgs have a new coach too in former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. It’s a safe assumption that there will be more than five points scored in this game. AU improves to 2-0. AU 21, MSU 10

n Sept. 19, vs. West Virginia: It’s only week three of the season, but this is a big game for the Tigers’ psyche. A win against a good team would prove that Auburn is on the upswing. This writer is 50-50 on who to pick. West Virginia is the better team, but home-field advantage is the difference - barely. AU 31, WVU 30

n Sept. 26, Auburn vs. Ball State: This game will be closer than many fans expect. The Cardinals are a good team from the MAC and capable of winning. The Tigers win with a fourth quarter drive. AU 24, Ball St. 20

n Oct. 3, at Tennessee: The Tigers finally play a road game against an improved UT squad. Lane Kiffin’s squad will be embarassed several times this season, but on this week the Vols pick up a rare SEC win. UT 20, AU 16

n Oct. 10, at Arkansas: Auburn rarely plays well at Fayetteville. That’s bad news for Chizik but good news for former AU offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who now leads the Hawgs. Ever heard of him? Ark. 34, AU 27

n Oct. 17, vs. Kentucky: The Tigers return home for a winnable game against a fair Kentucky squad. Auburn bounces back with its most impressive effort of the season. AU 37, UK 13

n Oct. 24, at LSU: This will be another classic. Auburn comes close to pulling off the upset, but Miles pulls a rabbit out of the hat one more time. This time, expect a game-winning “fumblerooski.” LSU 13, AU 10

n Oct. 31, vs. Ole Miss: Auburn will pull off one upset this season. It comes this week. The Rebels enter as a top-15 team with eyes on an SEC title and BCS bowl berth. But the Auburn defense plays its best game of the season, while the offense scores enough to win a thriller. AU 24, OM 17

* Nov. 7, vs. Furman: The Tigers finally get a breather - or maybe not. Virginia Tech played Furman last season and only won 24-7. The Paladins play in the Southern Conference with Appalachian State - the team that won at Michigan two seasons ago. AU 31, Furman 3

* Nov. 14, at Georgia: The Tigers finally have their day with the Dawgs - next season. Home field advantage doesn’t mean much in this series, but I still like Georgia in a close one. UGA 24, AU 18

* Nov. 27, vs. Alabama: Auburn is still a couple of years away from defeating the Tide. However, this game won’t end 36-0, either. Auburn finishes 7-5 - good enough for a bid to the Music City Bowl in Nashville. All things considered, that’s not too bad. UA 21, AU 12