Kentucky looks like the clear favorite in the SEC, but it would be foolish to dismiss some of the other great teams in the conference, most notably Auburn. What are three reasons or arguments in the Tigers’ favor?
Auburn had a breakthrough season in 17-18 where they overcame injuries and roster attrition to win a share of the SEC regular-season title. This feat is even more impressive when you consider the improved quality of the conference from recent seasons.
Auburn’s season did not end on a positive note as they suffered an 84-53 beat down by the Clemson Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They also stumbled to the finish as injuries finally caught up to them. These are some of the reasons why Auburn typically finds itself predicted to finish third in the SEC and towards the back end of the top ten.
However, the Tigers have a much higher ceiling than this and could even overtake the heavily favorited Kentucky Wildcats as SEC champs. I still have Kentucky as my top team in the country (and therefore the SEC) and this idea was only reinforced by their dominant trip to the Bahamas. This stunning performance has led to many people dismissing the other great teams in the SEC, but Auburn will be a worthy challenger for the top spot.
At this point, I think I am leading the Auburn bandwagon since I have the Tigers as the second best team in the country. This seems high for a team that lost two key starters in Mustapha Heron and DeSean Murray, but this team’s upside has been significantly overlooked. This article will provide three reasons why Auburn can be a legitimate threat to win the SEC and knock off Kentucky.