College football rankings: Preseason top 25 – Clemson at No. 1, SEC owns half of top 10

8. Auburn Tigers

On the heels of a 9-4 season, head coach Gus Malzahn is once again going to be the center of attention for the Auburn Tigers. The cure for any hot seat talk, however, is simple: Win games and win a lot of them. There’s no question that the Tigers should be one of the SEC’s best but the team has some big questions to answer.

That starts on defense, which was what the team hung their hat on last season. As the freshman-led offense had its bouts with inconsistency, the defense kept Auburn in almost every game last year. After losing Derrick Brown, Noah Igbinoghene, Nick Coe and Marlon Davidson, though, they’ll be expecting the likes of Big Kat Bryant, K.J. Britt and Roger McCreary to step up and maintain that level of play in 2020.

But really, the ceiling of Auburn will be determined by the offense and what strides they’re able to make. There is talent at the skill positions as Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz are an elite wide receiver duo and D.J. Williams, taking over as the top running back after JaTarvious Whitlow’s transfer, is capable. However, the team must figure out things in the trenches as they return no starters on the line.

Then there’s quarterback Bo Nix. There were moments as a true freshman last season when he looked like a star, including right away as he led a comeback win over Oregon in the season-opener. But Nix also struggled with accuracy and inconsistency, highlighted most in losses to Florida and LSU. He has to be a steadier signal-caller this season if the Tigers are going to reach their ceiling.