By the numbers: Auburn hitting its stride at midway point

Gus Malzahn: "Very few teams in the country continue to improve. If we do that, then we will end up having a pretty good year."Photo: Anthony Hall/Auburn Athletics

By Greg Ostendorf

AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. -- We are halfway through the regular season, and Auburn is sitting pretty at 5-1 and ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25. The path to an SEC championship and a potential spot in the College Football Playoff is still in place for the Tigers.

The only blemish to this point? A 14-6 loss on the road at No. 2 Clemson.

"When you bring up that name [Clemson], it hurts to hear that," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "I know that it motivates our players and our coaches. All the experiences you have up…