Man, 2017 was weird. If you’re looking back at the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule, you’re probably trying to remember how a team could look so human in September and then suddenly turn into a god-slayer by November. It wasn't just a list of dates and kick-off times; it was this high-wire act where Gus Malzahn was basically coaching for his life every single Saturday. Honestly, most people forget how close this team came to making the College Football Playoff despite having two losses. It’s wild.
The season started with a lot of "new car smell" because of Jarrett Stidham. Auburn fans had been starving for a quarterback who could actually throw a deep post route without it being a jump ball. We all remember the hype. The schedule looked brutal on paper, and it ended up being even harder in reality. You had the typical SEC West gauntlet, but then you add a trip to Clemson in Week 2? That’s just masochistic.
That Brutal September Reality Check
The Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule kicked off with a 41-7 blowout of Georgia Southern. Easy. Standard. But then came the trip to Death Valley—the South Carolina version. Clemson’s defensive line that year was basically an NFL roster. They sacked Stidham 11 times. Eleven. It was hard to watch. Auburn lost 14-6, and at that moment, the fanbase was ready to pack it in. You’ve probably been there—that feeling where the "big season" feels over before the leaves even change color.
But then things got interesting. Auburn came home and handled Mercer, which was whatever, but then they started clicking. They went to Missouri and hung 51 points. They came home and dropped 49 on Mississippi State. Suddenly, the offense didn't look like a broken engine anymore. Kerryon Johnson was playing like a man possessed, even with a hamstring that was probably held together by athletic tape and prayers.
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Why the Auburn Tigers 2017 Football Schedule Was a Trap
By the time October rolled around, the Tigers were ranked 10th and heading to Baton Rouge. This is the game that still gives Auburn fans nightmares. Up 20-0? Check. Losing 27-23? Also check. It was a collapse of epic proportions. At that point, the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule looked like a funeral procession. They had two losses. In the modern CFP era, two losses usually means you're playing for a nice bowl in Florida and not much else.
But Gus didn't blink. Or maybe he did, but he hid it well. The Tigers had to win out. No mistakes. No "oops" games. They handled Arkansas and Texas A&M on the road, setting up one of the most insane three-week stretches in the history of the program.
The November To Remember
If you look at the back half of the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule, it’s terrifying. You had No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama both coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium in the span of three weeks. Nobody—and I mean nobody—thought Auburn was winning both of those.
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- November 11 vs. Georgia: The Bulldogs were undefeated. They were the "team of destiny." Auburn absolutely dismantled them 40-17. It wasn't even that close.
- November 18 vs. ULM: The classic "trap game" that they handled 42-14.
- November 25 vs. Alabama: The Iron Bowl. This was for the SEC West title. Auburn won 26-14.
Watching Auburn beat two No. 1 teams in three weeks? That’s stuff you usually only see in movies. Stidham was efficient, the "Amen Corner" of the defense was hitting like trucks, and Kerryon Johnson was carrying the ball until his body literally gave out.
The SEC Championship and the Peach Bowl Letdown
This is where the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule gets a bit tragic. Because they beat Georgia so badly in the regular season, they had to play them again in the SEC Championship in Atlanta. It’s hard to beat a good team twice, especially when your star running back is playing with one arm.
Auburn ran out of gas. They lost 28-7. The dream was dead. No playoffs. Instead, they got a trip to the Peach Bowl to play an undefeated UCF team. You remember that one? The "National Champions" (according to UCF). Auburn lost 34-27. It was a weird, flat ending to a season that had reached such incredible highs.
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Re-Evaluating the 2017 Stats and Impact
When you look at the raw data from the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule, the dominance is actually kind of shocking. They finished 10-4, which sounds "good but not great" until you realize who they played.
- Strength of Schedule: They played the two teams that eventually played for the National Championship (Georgia and Alabama) and beat them both in the regular season.
- Point Differential: Even with four losses, they outscored opponents 474 to 242.
- The Kerryon Factor: Kerryon Johnson finished with 1,391 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year for a reason.
The defense was led by guys like Jeff Holland (Sensei Muddy) and Carlton Davis. They were aggressive, fast, and basically spent the entire month of November in the opponent's backfield. It was probably the most "complete" Auburn team we've seen since 2010, even if the record doesn't quite show it.
The Long-Term Lessons
What do we actually take away from the Auburn Tigers 2017 football schedule today? First, it proved that Jordan-Hare Stadium is a literal house of horrors for top-ranked teams. There’s some kind of voodoo in that grass. Second, it showed the volatility of the Malzahn era—unbeatable one week, struggling to score 6 points at Clemson the next.
If you're researching this season for a deep dive or just settling a bet, remember that this was the year Auburn proved they could hang with anybody. They were the only team to really figure out Kirby Smart’s Georgia and Nick Saban’s Alabama in the same month. That’s a feat that might not happen again for a long time.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Historians
- Review the Tape: If you want to see peak "Gus-bus" offense, watch the 2017 Georgia game. The screen game and the RPOs were perfection.
- Context Matters: When looking at the 10-4 record, always factor in that three of those losses came against teams that finished in the top 5.
- Statistical Deep Dive: Check out the third-down conversion rates during the November stretch; the efficiency was world-class.
The 2017 season remains a "what if" for the ages. What if Kerryon was 100% for the SEC Championship? What if they hadn't blinked in Baton Rouge? We’ll never know. But for three weeks in November, that schedule produced the best football team in the country.