Vanderbilt travels south to Auburn to take on the ninth-ranked Tigers, and despite this being a conference game, it does not have the makings of a close one. Auburn has won five straight games after a 1-2 start, riding a strong defense to help get head coach Gus Malzahn off the hot seat.
Vanderbilt vs. Auburn 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
The Tigers should take care of business at home against the Commodores.
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
The story of Auburn's season starts with their defensive line. The Tigers are the No. 11 team in the country in Defensive S&P+, and their monstrous defensive line led by Carl Lawson is the big reason why. They're disruptive, and have allowed the Auburn offense to sort itself out as the season progressed.
Progress is not something Vanderbilt has made much of. The Commodores have actually won two games in a row including one over Georgia, but they’re 4-4 overall and have not improved much over last season. They still have a path to bowl eligibility over their final four games, but this will probably not be a game they win.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
Radio: Vanderbilt | Auburn
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Auburn is favored by 25.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Anchor of Gold for Vanderbilt fans and College and Magnolia for Auburn fans.
Three big things to know
1. After a shaky start, Auburn rebounded nicely and is ranked No. 8 in the latest S&P+ rankings. Rumors of Gus Malzahn’s impending departure have completely evaporated, and things seem to be moving quickly in the right direction. After a shaky start, Vanderbilt’s season remained shaky and got worse. This is about as big a mismatch you’ll see in an SEC conference game.
2. Auburn's two-headed rushing attack of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson have combined for over 1,500 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns through eight games. Pettway is averaging a robust 6.3 yards per carry on 148 carries. Don't expect the Tigers to deviate from the plan that's guided them to so much success this year.
3. People bought into Vanderbilt having a strong defense this year and being a difficult team to put away. While still OK, the defense has not lived up to expectations, and it doesn’t help that the Commodores also have one of the worst offenses in the country. They simply can’t score enough to keep up with most teams, and they can’t slow teams down enough to stay within striking distance for their offense. This game likely will not be pretty.
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