Greg McElroy

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy (12) celebrates his 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Hanks in the first quarter of the Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday, Nov. 26, 2010. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is already in analyst mode.

The newly-hired SEC Network analyst is not letting his allegiances get in the way of naming a frontrunner in the SEC race in 2014: Gus Malzahn's Auburn Tigers.

"I think he's the most innovative play-caller in college football," McElroy told WJOX-FM on Monday. "I think he's a tremendous football coach and he's had a lot of success over the course of his career and what they did last year was really special, so I think they are the frontrunners without question at this point."

Auburn was the surprise story of the 2013 season, rebounding from a winless SEC record in 2012 to win its eighth SEC Championship in school history. The Tigers suffered one loss at LSU before winning nine straight games entering the BCS National Championship against Florida State.

McElroy led Alabama to a BCS championship and perfect 14-0 record as a junior in 2009. He cited Auburn's strengths on offense and the development of quarterback Nick Marshall for picking the Tigers as the frontrunner in the SEC.

The SEC race is "wide open," he said, especially in the SEC West, where quarterback battles will be waged through August.

"Once quarterback situations are established at LSU, at Alabama -- and Ole Miss is also kind of a scary team out in the West as well," McElroy said. "Bo Wallace comes back and some of the things they were able to do. The West is wide open and it's difficult, but I definitely think the Auburn Tigers are the favorite."

McElroy will make his broadcast debut when the SEC Network launches Aug. 14.