The past month hadn't been kind to Auburn. COVID-19 testing wiped out almost an entire week of football practice at one point in late August. In preseason camp, there wasn't a single week when the Tigers were able to keep the same five offensive linemen together, and this was a group that was already behind the eight ball with only one returning starter, Nick Brahms (who didn't even start the whole year).
Auburn was a team with modest expectations by SEC standards, ranked No. 11 in the preseason but not a popular choice to reach the College Football Playoff.