Auburn football does not play its first game until Sept. 4, but that did not stop USA TODAY from evaluating the Tigers ahead of the opening weekend of college football, which begins Saturday.
USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg has revealed his weekly "College football Re-Rank 1-138" ahead of this weekend's season-opening action, and Auburn sneaks into the upper half of the ranking at No. 63. A total of 11 SEC teams, as well as seven opponents, are ranked ahead of Auburn in this week's outlook.
Auburn opens the season in Week 1 against the Baylor Bears in the annual Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Bears check in at No. 53 in Week 0's re-rank, ten spots ahead of the Tigers. Auburn will then face Southern Miss, Florida,
and Vanderbilt at home before visiting Tennessee for its first true road game of the slate. Southern Miss is the lone team in the stretch that ranks lower than Auburn, checking in at No. 125.
Auburn's Week 3 date with Florida kicks off a brutal stretch of games in which the Tigers will face six straight opponents ranked in Myerberg's top 40. The Gators check in at No. 37 this week, with Vanderbilt (No. 40), Tennessee (No. 19), Georgia (No. 6), LSU (No. 18), and Ole Miss (No. 11) following suit.
Auburn's next game against a lower-ranked team will come in Week 10 against Arkansas. The Razorbacks, who join Auburn by trotting out a first-year head coach, are the lowest-ranked team in the SEC at No. 97. Auburn will then see No. 78 Mississippi State before hosting FCS Samford for its final home game of the regular season on Nov. 21.
Auburn will then conclude the regular season against Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide begin the season ranked No. 9 in the re-rank.
Auburn's place in next week's rankings is sure to change as several FBS teams begin their seasons in Week 0. Marquee matchups in college football's opening weekend include North Carolina vs TCU in Dublin, Ireland, NC State at Virginia, and Memphis at UNLV.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Where Auburn ranks in USA TODAY re-rank before Week 0's action
