SEC fans, how much do you know about some of your nonconference opponents? If you haven’t studied up yet, we’re doing a series this week that will look at some of the marquee nonconference games involving SEC teams in 2016 and the opponents that they will face.
First up are the Clemson Tigers who travel to Auburn to open the season.
Opponent: at Auburn
Date of matchup: Saturday, Sept. 3
Star players: QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, WR Artavis Scott, LB Ben Boulware, CB Cordrea Tankersley
Offseason storyline: Unfinished business. Clemson made a big jump in 2015 when it won the ACC and reached the College Football Playoff. However, a loss to Alabama in the national championship game left a bitter taste in its mouth, and now the expectation in 2016 is to not only win the conference and get back to the playoff but to win the whole thing.
Coach Dabo Swinney has a team that’s more than capable, though. Watson, who many think could be the top overall pick in next year’s NFL draft, will be a Heisman Trophy contender from Week 1 on. With the exception of Charone Peake, the Tigers return the majority of their skill players -- a group that includes a 1,500-yard rusher (Gallman), a 900-yard receiver (Scott), and the return of a 1,000-yard receiver from injury (Mike Williams). In all, Clemson has eight returning starters on offense.
The defense also returns eight starters, though it won’t be easy to replace stars like Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Mackensie Alexander. Still, this team has the talent to win a championship and they will certainly have a chip on their shoulder after coming up just short a year ago.
What’s at stake for Auburn: Gus Malzahn might have gotten a contract extension recently, but that doesn’t mean he’s off the hot seat. He could use a signature win as much as any coach in the SEC, and Clemson would certainly be that signature win.
Does anybody expect Auburn to beat the national runner-up from a year ago? Probably not. But the game is at home. It’s at night. And fans will be optimistic with it being the first game of the year. They want to see a better product on the field than they saw a year ago, and that means win or lose, they want their Tigers to be competitive even if it is against a top-five team.
A win would take some heat off Malzahn. A loss wouldn’t necessarily hurt Malzahn’s status, but Auburn needs to show progress.