Auburn occupies an unusual spot in college football. On one hand, it’s a program fully capable of chasing national titles in any era. On the other, it has also shown a knack for long stretches of irrelevance and lately, that’s exactly where the Tigers have been. In fact, they’ve won only five or six games for six straight seasons.
Success isn’t ancient history: Auburn won 10 games in 2017, 12 in 2013, and went 14–0 in 2010. But the Tigers have been far too inconsistent to build any real momentum. They haven’t posted back-to-back top-10 AP Poll finishes since Terry Bowden’s first two seasons in 1993–94.
Enter Alex Golesh.
After a strong run at South Florida, Golesh took the Auburn job this offseason and brought much of his USF staff and roster with him including offensive coordinator Joel Gordon and quarterback Byrum Brown. In an era when coaching changes usually trigger a mass exodus of transfers, Golesh managed to preserve some continuity. Notably, 13 of Auburn’s 39 transfers played for the Bulls in 2025.
It’s possible that Auburn’s entire 2026 starting offense will consist of incoming transfers, most of whom thrived in a South Florida attack that averaged nearly seven yards per play last season. The defense, led by DJ Durkin, will have a few more returning pieces.
The mission at Auburn isn’t simple, but it’s clear: return the Tigers to title contention. That’s a long-term goal. For 2026, simply reaching seven or more wins for the first time since 2019 would count as progress.
Auburn regular-season win total analysis
(This is part of a series at Saturday Down South examining win totals for all 16 SEC teams. Previous predictions covered Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. Now it’s Auburn’s turn.)
Auburn regular-season win total
From BetMGM:
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Over 6.5 wins (-120)
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Under 6.5 wins (-110)
The implied probability of reaching seven or more wins at -120 is 54.55%.
Auburn’s 2026 schedule
Sept. 5: vs. Baylor
Sept. 12: vs. Southern Miss
Sept. 19: vs. Florida
Sept. 26: vs. Vanderbilt
Oct. 3: at Tennessee
Oct. 10: OFF
Oct. 17: at Georgia
Oct. 24: vs. LSU
Oct. 31: at Ole Miss
Nov. 7: vs. Arkansas
Nov. 14: at Mississippi State
Nov. 21: vs. Samford
Nov. 28: at Alabama
The nonconference slate is manageable, with the toughest test being the season opener against Baylor at Jordan-Hare Stadium most sportsbooks list Auburn as roughly a -265 favorite. Of course, Auburn will play a nine game SEC schedule for the first time this year. The early stretch features home games against Florida and Vanderbilt.
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