AUBURN, Alabama -- Phil Steele's national prognostications are always a hot topic in the summer.

The college football guru is also not afraid to project teams beyond the upcoming season.

It's why he believes Auburn will be contending for national titles in a "short" amount of time, although it may take longer than the second-year BCS title the Tigers won under Gene Chizik during the 2010 season.

"The job he did at Arkansas State last year was really incredible," Steele said of Malzahn during an appearance today on WJOX in Birmingham. "I think I picked them fourth in the conference because of a new head coach, they lost a lot of talent, they overachieved the previous year and he had them right back at the top again last year. So, yes, I do believe Malzahn will have them back up there. It's going to take a couple years. It's not a two- to three-(year) thing like Chizik winning the national championship in his second year. Unless Malzahn happens to stumble upon another Cam Newton I don't think that will happen. Yes, I do believe he will have them up there competing for the national title in a short process."

Steele did not include Auburn in his top 40 this season, but he does tab the Tigers as one of his most improved teams. Auburn went 3-9 in 2012, leading to Chizik's firing and the hiring of Malzahn, the Tigers' offensive coordinator for three of the last four years.

Steele projects the Tigers to score 27 points per game with quarterback Nick Marshall leading the team.

"He's the dual-threat quarterback you want for the spread offense, so I went with Nick Marshall, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was any of those four QBs," said Steele, who made sure to name Kiehl Frazier, Jonathan Wallace and freshman Jeremy Johnson. "I think they're going to get much better quarterback play. That's an easy statement for me to make. Last year they had seven touchdown passes, 15 interceptions. Very erratic. They'll get better quarterback play now moving back to the spread offense."

Steele ranks Auburn's defensive line 17th in the nation, and says first-year defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson will push the defense to a top-35 finish. He ranks Auburn's special teams at No. 40.

Steele lists Auburn as an underdog in as many as seven games, including a home game against Ole Miss, but has the Tigers winning enough to become bowl eligible with a trip to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.

"I know for Auburn fans the Independence Bowl is not great, but after last season, I think they'll take that this year," he said.

Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine is on sale now.