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Auburn will take on Cal in an SEC/ACC showdown in Week 2 on the Plains.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) makes the Tigers a significant favorite in this game. Per the model, Auburn has an 81.4% chance of defeating Cal at home on Saturday. That number is up significantly from the preseason when FPI gave Auburn a 72.1% chance to beat Cal in Week 2.
The market more-or-less agrees with FPI’s projection. Per DraftKings, Auburn is -485 on the money line and is favored by 11.5 points over the Golden Bears in this matchup. The total has been set at 54.
Last season, Auburn won a close game on the road over Cal 14-10. The Tigers have significantly upgraded their wide receiver room since that matchup, adding 5-star Cam Coleman and Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith this offseason. Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons are 2 other freshman receivers who should have a big impact on Auburn’s season. That quartet combined to catch 5 touchdown passes in Auburn’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M.
Cal is 1-0 entering this contest after it beat UC Davis 31-13 in its opener. Cal’s top player is running back Jaydn Ott, who scored 2 touchdowns in Week 1. Auburn fans will likely remember Ott as he rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ narrow win over Cal last season.
This will be just the second meeting all-time between Auburn and Cal.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
