Tigers report: Inside slant
 

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Inside slant · Notes, quotes · Strategy and personnel
 

All the fighting has been left on the practice field, and now it comes down to seeing just what two new coordinators mean to an Auburn team many are picking to win the SEC Western Division.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what we've got," said Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville. "It's going to be a surprise to a lot of us, so I'm looking forward to seeing what we have as much as the fans are."

Although Auburn ran new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread offense in its bowl game victory over Clemson, Franklin said the team didn't really know it and was only beginning to understand it. Now that the Tigers have had a full offseason to prepare, Franklin is expecting a fast-break offense that can score a lot of points, something Auburn has struggled with the past few seasons.

Meanwhile, the defense goes from the fiery Will Muschamp to more cerebral defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads. No one doubts that this defense will be very good. But will they get as motivated on the big plays for Rhoads as they did Muschamp? That remains to be seen.

Louisiana-Monroe beat Alabama last year, so this isn't a gimme win for Auburn. But the real question will be how efficient the offense will be and which quarterback -- Chris Todd or Kodi Burns -- gets the most significant minutes behind the center.

Auburn should win. But will the Tigers win with enough style to keep the excitement over the new offense going? That's the question even Tommy Tuberville needs to see answered.

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