For Auburn, the 2018 season probably can’t arrive soon enough after the Tigers squandered their shot at a College Football Playoff berth in 2017.The Tigerswere a win away in the 2017 SEC championship game from becoming the first two-lo s team to make the four-team field. But a lo s to Georgia in Atlanta and subsequent lo s to UCF in the Peach Bowl provided a disappointing end to a promising season.MORE: Still, a 10-4 recordis nothing to sneeze at, as evidenced by Gus Malzahn’s raise Drew Smyly Jersey and contract extension through 2024. That performance has the Tigersranked No. 8 in , but they have an even tougher path to the Playoff in 2018.Here’s a look ahead at the Tigers’ 2018 season:Auburn football schedule 2018DateOpponentLocationApril 7Auburn, Ala.Sept. 1No. 11 WashingtonAtlantaSept. 8Alabama StateAuburn, Ala.Sept. 15No. 13 LSUAuburn, Ala.Sept. 22ArkansasAuburn, Ala.Sept. 29Southern Mi sAuburn, Ala.Oct. 6at Mi si sippi StateStarkville, Mi s.Oct. 13Tenne seeAuburn, Ala.Oct. 20at Ole Mi sOxford, Mi s.Oct. 27ByeOffNov. 3No. 25 Texas A&MAuburn, Ala.Nov. 10at No. 3 GeorgiaAthens, Ga.Nov. 17LibertyAuburn, Ala.Nov. 24at No. 1 AlabamaTuscaloosa, Ala.Dec. 1SEC championshipAtlantaBold denotes SEC gamesAuburn football recruiting 2018Auburn’s ranked 12th nationally and third in the SEC according to 247Sports’ Composite team rankings. The cla s is headlined by the top athlete in the country, dual-threat quarterback Joey Gatewood, who is already on campus. The cla s heavily features skilled talent, with three Wei-Chieh Huang Jersey four-star receivers and two four-star running backs making their way to Auburn.MORE: Auburn football roster 2018Auburn’s football roster will be updated in the spring and fall .What to watch in 2018:1. What will rungame look like?Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway combined for more than 4,000 yards over their careers Jason Grilli Jersey , and their departure to the NFL leaves a gaping hole to fill at running back. Thankfully forthe Tigers, projected starter Kam Martin rushed for 453 yards last season after Pettway was lost to injury against Arkansas. That still leaves a spot available for sophomores Devan Barrett and Malik Miller, who combined for 48 carriesand 214 yards for the Tigers in 2017, or four-star running back Asa Martin, the No. 9 running back in the 2018 cla s and an early enrollee.2. How will Stidham progre s in Year 2?Jarrett Stidham was one of the league’s best quarterbacks last season, completing 66.5 percent of pa sesfor 3,158 yards and 18 touchdowns to six interceptions. It will be worth watching how defenses defend against him without the threat ofJohnson and Pettway, though he still gets to work with his top five receiving leaders from last year, all of whom had at least 265 yards and all but one of whom caught a touchdown. The return of offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey will go a long way in helping him take on an even larger role in 2018.3. Can Auburn win the West again?As tough as Auburn’s schedule was in 2017, it will only get tougher this season. Gone is the Clemson home-and-home, only to be replaced Darwin Barney Jersey with a season-opening, neutral-site collision with No. 11 Washington. Auburn gets LSU early in the schedule at home, but finishes with a tough November stretchagainst Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama. Those last two opponents could easily be undefeated at that point in the season, and the Tigers will have to go on the road to play them both. The Tigers may need to win both for another SEC championshipberth and another shot at their first Playoff appearance.