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College Football Rankings: Top 25 after spring practice

By Cody Williams

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles out of the pocket against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles out of the pocket against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 5, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Kamryn Pettway (36) carries against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the third quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. The Tigers beat the Commodores 23-16. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Kamryn Pettway (36) carries against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the third quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. The Tigers beat the Commodores 23-16. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Auburn Tigers

2016: 8-5, 

Call it an epidemic of SEC teams, but quarterback play has really stifled the overall effectiveness of potentially elite teams in recent years. We’ve talked about Florida in that regard and it’s an issue that’s also affected the LSU Tigers in recent years as well. You can also add the Auburn Tigers to that list as, despite possessing a consistently terrorizing defense, have been so lackluster on the offensive side of the ball due to their quarterback play that it’s been difficult for them to maintain any level of national relevance.

If the Auburn spring game is any indication, that’s not going to be a worry anymore for the Tigers. Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham took the helm for the Auburn offense in the spring and, quite simply, put on a show in doing so. He showed flashes during brief work in Waco of what he was capable of with a big arm and exceptional athleticism, but it was on full display in Auburn. Flanked by the likes of Kamryn Pettway in the backfield, this could be the best Tigers offense since Cam Newton — not that that’s saying a great deal.

With Stidham in place, the key for Auburn ironically may be figuring out how to maintain their effectiveness defensively. Dealing with the losses of Montravius Adams and Carl Lawson, they need to be dominant up front for the unit to be at its peak effectiveness. The hope is that players like Byron Cowhart, who has disappointed to this point in his career, can step up and do that.

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