First Call | Auburn Already Has the BLUEPRINT to Beat Baylor

IT'S GAME WEEK.

The Auburn Tigers officially begin the Alex Golesh era against Baylor on Saturday, and I think the blueprint for beating the Bears is already sitting right in front of them.

Run the football.

Auburn rushed for more than 300 yards against Baylor last season, and the Bears struggled to stop the run throughout the year.

Now Auburn's rushing attack could be even more difficult to defend.

Jeremiah Cobb is back. Omar Mabson should have a larger role. Baylor's leading rusher from last season, Bryson Washington, is now wearing orange and blue.

And then there's Byrum Brown, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards at South Florida.

Baylor has a new defensive coordinator. Maybe the Bears fixed their problems.

Make them prove it.

There's another reason I like this matchup for Auburn.

Both teams lost important players from last season, but I think Auburn did a better job replacing them.

Baylor lost Sawyer Robertson after he threw for more than 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns. Bryson Washington switched sides. Most of Baylor's top receiving production is gone, and the Bears enter the season with only one returning starter on the offensive line.

Auburn lost plenty too.

But Golesh replaced Jackson Arnold with Brown, rebuilt the receiver room with players who already understand his offense and added Washington to an already talented backfield.

Then comes Baylor's dilemma.

If the Bears commit another defender to stopping Auburn's rushing attack, Brown should get opportunities through the air.

Can he make them pay?

That's one of the biggest things I'm watching Saturday.

But Auburn doesn't need Week 1 to answer every question we have about this football team.

It doesn't need Brown throwing for 350 yards.

It doesn't need to prove the offensive line can handle every SEC defensive front.

It just needs to beat Baylor.

And the blueprint for doing it is already there.

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