ATLANTA — Auburn coach Gus Malzahn chooses to look at the big picture.
"We were very close," Malzahn said repeatedly at SEC Media Days on Thursday. "We won the SEC West, which I believe is the toughest division in college football. We were one game away from the College Football Playoff, which is everyone's goal."
How would you view Auburn in 2017? On one hand, the Tigers finished 10-2 in the regular season, scored top-five wins against Georgia and Alabama in November at Jordan-Hare Stadium and won the SEC West.
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On the other hand, Auburn lost in a rematch to Georgia in the SEC championship, lost again to UCF in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, finishing the season with two straight losses as Alabama — the last team Auburn beat in 2017 — won the Playoff against Georgia, the Tigers' second-biggest rival.
So, from a that big-picture view, life hasn't changed much for Malzahn.
"When I say we were close, I look at the big picture. As far as our goal as being in the SEC championship, it's the same as last year, we did some very good things to get to this point," he said. "There's such a fine line in the conference of winning the conference championship and coming close.
"We came close last year."
Nobody walks both sides of that line quite like Malzahn. He led Auburn to a 12-2 record, SEC championship and BCS championship game appearance in 2013. From 2014-16, however, the Tigers were 23-16 with a 11-13 record in conference play.
The big picture hasn't changed heading into 2018. Alabama and Georgia are heavy favorites to make the SEC championship game. Auburn remains the X-factor, and the Tigers are up against a tough schedule that opens with the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game against Washington back in Atlanta. Auburn faces another legitimate Playoff contender in Atlanta.
LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M come to Jordan-Hare Stadium, but November dates at Georgia and Alabama will determine whether the Tigers are close again this year.
"We have the toughest schedule in college football, just like we did last year," Malzhan said.
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What does Auburn have that could make a difference? Malzahn also said repeatedly that Jarrett Stidham gives the Tigers a second-year starter for just the second time in his Auburn tenure. Stidham was an unknown heading into fall camp last year before developing into one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
"The way he was playing in the middle of the year to the end of the year was really phenomenal," Malzahn said. "From a quarterback standpoint, experience, there's nothing like it in this league."
Stidham grew into that role after taking 11 sacks against Clemson in his second start, something he jokingly assured "would never happen again." He emerged as a team leader with 3,158 passing yards and 18 touchdowns to six interceptions. He's back along with second-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who helped the Tigers torch SEC defenses last year.
"I really do believe we're going to be just as good, if not better," Stidham said. "I'm back for my second year, and we have five receivers coming back. … I think with those parts right there we have a lot of talent and a lot of experience."
So the Tigers face the same set of challenges — familiar territory for a coach and one of the most unpredictable programs in the FBS. Auburn is close again, and it's on Malzahn to finally hit the mark in 2018
"We weren't happy with how the season ended, and our players have really been motivated by those losses," Malzahn said. "We've got to figure out a way to take the next step."
