re: Is it consensus that this is Auburns year again?

No, it's not consensus Auburn's year.

2008-09 Alabama is the only team in SEC that's ever repeated as Western division champions. In both years the next-strongest Western team by record went 9-4 (2008 Ole Miss, 2009 LSU). The golden number appears to be 10 wins; once you get at least one challenger with 10 wins (and ideally 2+), repeating just doesn't happen. In 2013, two teams bagged 10+ wins -- Alabama and LSU.

I think 2013 Auburn was in the same tier as Alabama and LSU and got the good breaks that year. They could have been a 10-3 team like LSU was; they were a 2-loss team like Alabama. The good breaks make the difference. I think it's silly to assume they'll get the same breaks as before.

The main thing pointing to them right now is uncertainty with LSU and Alabama, but I don't see any reason why they can't be in the hunt either.

I think it comes down to who gets the good breaks among LSU, Alabama and Auburn.