The Auburn Tigers are the newly minted #1 team in the nation and are set to defend that title on the road at Mississippi this weekend.  Auburn vaulted past Oregon in the BCS following a key win over LSU at home.  The Tigers are getting love from the computers and will now have a target on their back each week.  Ole Miss is coming off consecutive losses to Alabama and Arkansas, but kept those two games close throughout.  The Rebels sit at 3-4 on the year and have been known to rise up against top ranked teams in the past.  Auburn is a touchdown favorite with the latest college football odds.

Auburn was picked by many analysts to challenge Alabama for the SEC West title this year, but few believed they would be contending for a national title with a month left in the season.  The Tigers have rattled off eight straight victories and will look to make it nine in a row against a tough Ole Miss squad.  Cam Newton has raised his stock the past two weeks to epic proportions. 

The junior college transfer is a favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy and, if Auburn keeps winning, it will be hard arguing that he deserves it.  Newton has passed for 1364 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions.  Built like a linebacker, Newton has rushed for an additional 1077 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Those are Tim Tebow-esque numbers andthat is fighting that he was once a member of the Florida Gators.  Freshman Michael Dyer is second on the team in rushing with 543 yards and three scores.  He has split time in the backfield with speedster Onterio McCalebb. 

Auburn’s running attack averages over 300 yards per game, ranking 4^th nationally.  Wide receiver Darvin Adams is a big play threat every time he touches the ball.  Adams has a team high 26 receptions for 452 yards and two touchdowns.  Mario Fannin is one of the most versatile players on this team using both his running and receiving skills.  The defensive secondary is a weakness on this team and teams have exploited it.  The Tigers give up an average of 23.5 points per game.

Ole Miss has likely heard that three #1 teams have lost in consecutive weeks, leading up to their match-up with Auburn.  Houston Nutt is a master at rallying the troops and getting them ready to play a game like this.  The Rebels have a disappointing record, but don’t think for a second they won’t give the Tigers all they can handle on Saturday. 

Jeremiah Masoli has passed for 1260 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions.  The former Oregon Duck hasn’t been quite as electric as he was with the Ducks.  He has ran for 400 yards on 75 carries and scored three times.  Ole Miss does a nice job running the ball, averaging 211 yards per game.  Brandon Bolden leads the team with 559 yards on 97 carries and five touchdowns. 

The Rebels have more rushing scores than passing this year.  Markeith Summers is capable of making a highlight reel catch and has shown big play ability.  He has 16 receptions for 359 yards and four touchdowns.  Summers is averaging over 22 yards per catch and has a 70 yard touchdown reception.  The receiving core is talented, but this is a run first team that likes to go down field when a pass play is called.  Defensively, Ole Miss is giving up 32 points per game making them one of the worst units in the country.

The Rebels are just 4-23 all time against Auburn and have been out gained in 10 straight games.  Auburn has won nine in a row following their annual match-up with LSU and the visiting team has dropped the last three in this series.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Ole Miss hangs with the Tigers for the majority of the game, but then Auburn pulls away in the 4^th quarter.  Lay the touchdown.

Play: Auburn -7

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