Auburn deserves leap into rankings

October 04, 2009

By Jon Johnson

Auburn entered the AP rankings on Sunday at No. 17, somewhat of a surprising leap considering the Tigers didn’t find themselves in the poll after a 4-0 start.
While Auburn didn’t blow Tennessee away Saturday night in Knoxville, there was never any doubt that the Tigers were superior to the Volunteers.
Auburn is proving itself to be a good, solid football team, and on the verge of being termed very good. The ranking was warranted, and if Auburn can win at Arkansas on Saturday, the sky is the limit for this bunch which should continue to get better as the weeks pass.
I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be very tough to get a win at Arkansas, but Auburn is playing with enough confidence right now to win any time it steps on the field.
I thought the Auburn defense tackled much better against Tennessee. The offense is good enough to score against any team it faces, and if the defense can continue to improve and avoid injuries, Auburn can be a real factor in the SEC West race.