One of the top games during Week 1 of the college football season will be a neutral site clash between the no. 6 Washington Huskies and no. 9 Auburn Tigers. Game time is set for 3:30 EST on Saturday, September 1, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game is officially dubbed the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff and can be seen nationally on ABC. Auburn is a slight 2.5-point favorite over Washington.
Both teams enter 2018 with aspirations to reach the College Football Playoff. The Tigers nearly got there last season, only to lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Auburn then suffered a Peach Bowl loss to Central Florida to finish the season 10-4. However, the Tigers believe they have all the ingredients to make another run at an SEC title and a spot in the Final Four.
The Huskies, meanwhile, were in the College Football Playoff two seasons ago. A couple of slip-ups last year prevented them from getting back there. But on paper, Washington has quickly reloaded and is viewed by many as the team to beat in the Pac-12 this year. If they can secure another conference title, it could be hard to keep Washington out of the College Football Playoff.
Obviously, this game has serious Playoff implications. The winner will immediately be a top-5 team with a quality win on its resume and the inside track for the playoff. The loser, on the other hand, will be working to play catch up the rest of the season.
The Huskies could argue that they need the game more. In the Pac-12, there will be fewer opportunities to score quality wins that will impress the committee. Of course, Auburn will also look at this game as one they have to win. The Tigers are likely to suffer a loss or two while traversing the SEC, and so they may not be able to come back from an early loss out of conference unless they run the table in the SEC.
This game is almost too close to call. Both teams have distinct strengths and weaknesses that are tough to find. When in doubt, it’s usually best to favor the SEC team in this kind of matchup. They’re usually a little more accustomed to playing in big-time games and big-time environments. Seeing as how the Tigers played their last two games in 2017 in this stadium, I’ll take Auburn -2.5 in this game.
The most fascinating matchup in this game will be at the line of scrimmage. Auburn has arguably the most talented defensive line in the country, and when you factor their linebackers into the equation, their front-7 is potentially dominant. On the other side, Washington has high-end talent on the offensive line that may be able to stand up to the Tigers. The Huskies also having running back Myles Gaskin, who has rushed for over 4,000 yards and 45 touchdowns during his first three seasons at Washington.
If Washington can run the ball and neutralize the Auburn defensive front, they may have a chance to take control of this game. There are some questions about the Auburn secondary, which could open the door for Jake Browning, who begins his fourth season as Washington’s starting quarterback. The Huskies are a little unproven at wide receiver, but with a quarterback like Browning, they may have a chance to do some damage if the Tigers have to respect the Washington rushing attack. Of course, getting the better of Auburn’s defensive line is a huge “if,” even for the Huskies.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn will be relying on their own veteran quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. He had a breakout season in 2017, so the Tigers should be confident with him running the offense again this season. However, the Huskies have one of the most experienced defensive backfields in the country, so they’ll be looking forward to the chance to face Stidham and Auburn’s receivers.
Of course, the Tigers are always a team that prefers to establish their rushing attack. But things could be a little different this year without Kerryon Johnson in the backfield. The Tigers also have to replace some key starters along the offensive line, so they may not be able to move the ball at will. At the same time, Washington’s front-7 doesn’t have overwhelming amounts of talent, at least compared to other top-10 teams. That could leave the door open for the Auburn running game to get going and dictate the game.
In the end, I see two things that can separate these teams. First, this is a de facto home game for Auburn. The Tigers will have overwhelming fan support in Atlanta compared to the Huskies. Perhaps more importantly, Auburn is a little more secure on special teams. The Tigers trust redshirt freshman placekicker, Anders Carlson, an elite prospect coming out of high school and the brother of longtime Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson. The Huskies, meanwhile, are still a little unsure if they can trust Van Soderberg after his struggles last season. In such a tight game, that could be the difference, so I’ll lean toward Auburn in this one.
Want more college football? We have all of the week 1 lines up and full previews on all the big games!