The Tigers have one of the best wide receivers in the country in D'haquille "Duke" Williams, a veteran linebacking corps led by Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy, an experienced offensive line with Shon Coleman, Avery Young and Alex Kozan, and a potential star corner in Jonathan Jones.
On top of that, the arrival of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and return of defensive end Carl Lawson from an ACL tear should stabilize a defense that's in desperate need of stability.
What could derail the Tigers' train to the title?
Here are a few things to keep an eye on.
Depth in the Trenches
Auburn's biggest problem last year was the inability to find a consistent pass rush. The Tigers managed just 21 sacks on the season—11th in the SEC and 94th nationally.
Simply put, Lawson's season-long absence eliminated Plan A, and former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson didn't have a Plan B.
"That was our Achilles' heel on defense," Malzahn said at his Tiger Trek event in Atlanta in May. "When you can’t put pressure on the quarterback, it makes it tough on everybody."
The combination of Lawson's return and Muschamp's presence should help. Lawson is as much of a Dante Fowler Jr. clone as anybody on Auburn's roster, and he should thrive in the "Buck" position that is featured so prominently in Muschamp's defense.
Lawson's success or failure will help 6'4", 296-pound tackle Montravius Adams, who, as Jack Farrell of Pro Football Focus noted, was Auburn's lone bright spot in the pass rush last year:
Somebody else has to step up, though.
Senior DaVonte Lambert and junior Gimel President gained valuable experience last year, tackle Dontavius Russell is a redshirt freshman whom the coaching staff is high on, and blue-chip freshman Byron Cowart has everything it takes to be a true three-down defensive end from day one.
What if that talent and depth don't come together, though? It could be what costs Auburn a shot at the SEC title and College Football Playoff for the second straight season.
Jeremy Johnson Doesn't Live Up to the Hype
For a guy who has two career starts under his belt, junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson is getting plenty of Heisman hype. From trophy buzz (which I attempted to explain in this story) to second-team All-SEC honors at media days, the hype train is going full speed.
His head coach isn't doing much to slow it down, either.
"I'm very excited about Jeremy," Malzahn said at SEC media days. "Even in high school—I started recruiting him in ninth grade, and he ran a very similar offense. The fact this will be his third year in our system, even though he's the backup, he got a lot of reps with the ones in practice."
What if it doesn't work out, though?
If Johnson isn't the difference-maker that he's expected to be, Auburn will either have to adjust its scheme and place even more emphasis on the running game (which worked for Malzahn over the last two seasons) or turn to redshirt freshman and 2013 Elite 11 MVP Sean White.
Both scenarios could work, but in the SEC West, adjusting on the fly doesn't seem like a championship-level proposition.
The Tigers will flourish or flop on the success or failure of Johnson. While many, including yours truly, think he'll be a star, he still is one of the biggest mysteries in the SEC.
No Deep Threat Emerges
Williams was an absolute monster last year when he caught 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns playing alongside bona fide deep threat Sammie Coates.
Williams probably can be a superstar without a big-time deep threat playing alongside of him, but it's better for Auburn if he doesn't find out.
Ricardo Louis seems like he's been on The Plains for a decade, and the 6'2", 215-pound speedster of "Miracle on the Plains" fame has track star speed and is stronger than most think. Melvin Ray, Marcus Davis and Tony Stevens all have potential as well.
In an ideal situation for Auburn, one would step up and become a deep threat to complement Williams. It seems like Johnson already has a good idea of who's going to play Robin to Williams' role as Batman.
"Melvin Ray and Ricardo Louis are both seniors, and have a very good chance of playing at the next level," Johnson said. "We're looking forward to them making a lot of plays."
This isn't 2013, when Coates was really the only wide receiver who threatened defenses as Auburn rolled to the SEC title. While Johnson can run much better than he's shown over the last two seasons, he's no Nick Marshall. The offense will be much more balanced in 2015, and to click at the highest possible level, a new deep threat has to emerge.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
Read more Auburn Football news on BleacherReport.com
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