June 13, 2007

AUBURN - The Sporting News college football preview magazine has selected the Auburn football team to finish second in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division and 16th nationally in 2007 after finishing 9-3 overall.

TSN also selected the Tigers to play in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla., against Ohio State from the Big Ten Conference. The magazine predicts the Buckeyes to finish the season 17th nationally and post a 9-3 record prior to the bowl game.

The Sporting News selected defensive end Quentin Groves to its All-Conference first team. Groves, a senior from Greenville, Miss., was also named as the nation's sixth-best defensive end. Meanwhile, senior defensive tackle King Dunlap, junior running back Brad Lester, senior nose guard Josh Thompson and sophomore safety Aairon Savage were named to the second team. Savage, who hails from Albany, Ga., placed fifth nationally among free safeties.

In its unit rankings of the SEC, TSN rated the Auburn coaching staff as the best in the conference, while the team's defensive line and defensive backs were both rated second.

The preview magazine also selects the top 10 "gotta-see games" of the 2007 SEC season. The Tigers will play in three games TSN deemed "gotta-see." Those games are Sept. 29 at Florida, Oct. 20 at LSU and Nov. 24 against Alabama at Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium.