No. 8 Auburn Tigers

Editor’s Note: Beginning every May 1, Athlon Sports counts toward the release of its College Football Annuals by releasing one spot in its Top 25 every weekday for five weeks. The No. 1 team will be revealed June 4. Check AthlonSports.com every day to see who’s next in the countdown. The 2008 College Football Annuals hit newsstands June 3rd.

Forget about ever seeing a huddle again at Auburn, at least for as long as Tony Franklin is coordinating Tommy Tuberville’s offense. On the heels of Al Borges’ termination, Tuberville brought in Franklin from the staff at Troy to install a spread offense. Franklin directed the attack in Auburn’s 23–20 Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Clemson, and gave Kodi Burns equal snaps at quarterback with now-departed Brandon Cox. Burns, just the kind of dual-threat quarterback the no-huddle spread offense requires to keep defenses off-balance, scored the game-winning touchdown on a seven-yard run in overtime. Chris Todd, a transfer from Texas Tech by way of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, enrolled at Auburn in January and has an equal shot at the job.

The Tigers’ top three ball-carriers — Ben Tate, Brad Lester and Mario Fannin — all return behind an offensive line that boasts five returning starters. Like Georgia, three of last year’s O-line starters were freshmen. Unlike Georgia, all three of Auburn’s were true freshmen.

Tate led the ground game last fall with 903 yards and eight touchdowns. Lester pitched in with 530 yards and Fannin posted a team-high 5.3-yard average on 84 carries. Wide receiver Rodgeriqus Smith is also back after a 52-catch, five touchdown campaign in ’07.

Quentin Groves and Pat Sims are big losses from the defensive front four, but end Antonio Coleman returns after registering team highs with 18 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks last season, and he also batted down three passes at the line. The back seven is set with the linebacking corps returning two-deep and safety Zac Etheridge leading three returning starters in the secondary.

The schedule favors Auburn in that LSU, Tennessee and Georgia all must visit Jordan-Hare Stadium. But there is a trip to West Virginia in October, and the 2008 Iron Bowl is slated for Tuscaloosa.

Bragging rights The 17–10 win over Alabama gave Auburn its longest-ever winning streak in that storied series at six games.

More sixes The 2007 Tigers finished sixth in the nation in pass defense, total defense and scoring defense.

Grounded Auburn fielded one of the nation’s least productive passing games last fall, coming in at 103rd with 178 yards per game.

Auburn superlatives:

K Wes Byrum is named First-Team All-SEC.

RB Ben Tate, OL Tyronne Green, DL Antonio Coleman and P Ryan Shoemaker are named Second-Team All-SEC.

DL Sen’Derrick Marks and CB Jerraud Powers join the All-SEC Third Team.

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You can read the entire Auburn preview in the 2008 Athlon Sports College Football magazine, available for purchase now at the Athlon Sports store.

Also coming to AthlonSports.com this summer:
— Top 25 Heisman Hopefuls
— Live chats with Athlon editors
— Conference-preview videocasts
— Launch of the 2009 Athlon Consensus 100
— Athlon's college fantasy football draft kit

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— Previews for every college football game
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— Sideline Spirit voting
— Scenes From Saturday
— Updated Athlon 119
— Much more

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