College football expert predicts Auburn to put two SEC teams on upset alert this season

Auburn football will boast an improved team this season, and every team on its 2024 slate needs to keep an eye on them.

Trap games are a big part of college football. These games can make or break a college football team as they result in either an upset loss or an eye-opening, small-margin victory. For two SEC teams, the Auburn Tigers are the team to watch for.

247Sports Carter Bahns has predicted each SEC team’s “trap game” ahead of the 2024 season, and says that Auburn will keep Missouri and Texas A&M on its toes.

Missouri surprised everyone last season by earning 10 wins and defeating Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers will look to build upon its 2023 success by boasting one of the easier schedules within the conference. Auburn rolls into Columbia on October 19, one week before Missouri heads to Alabama. Could Auburn spoil what could be the biggest game in Missouri history by beating the host Tigers a week prior?

Auburn has more tools at the skill positions this season, particularly at wide receiver, and that could cause problems for a Missouri team whose primary questions reside on the defensive side of the ball. If Eli Drinkwitz’s team gets caught looking ahead to the Crimson Tide, its strong start to the season could come crashing down prematurely.

Next up is the Texas A&M Aggies, who will play Auburn one week before its arch rival, Texas, for the first time since 2011. The Aggies, led by first-year head coach Mike Elko, wants every piece of momentum it can grab ahead of its home game with the Longhorns, and a loss to Auburn could spoil it.

It may be tough for Elko to keep his team’s attention on Auburn when the renewal of the Lone Star Showdown with Texas looms the following week. In order for that game to have SEC title or Playoff implications, the Aggies have to come out of a trip to Auburn in one piece.

Auburn football will look to win more than six games since 2019 this season. But more importantly, the Tigers will look to regain national respect. Wins over unsuspecting Missouri and Texas A&M, plus wins over other key opponents on its schedule, could spell the perfect recipe for Auburn to take a giant step forward in its quest for an SEC championship.

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