Joel Klatt took a shot at Auburn this week, lumping the Tigers in with Texas A&M and calling both “a popcorn program.”
That line landed with a thud in Auburn country, and for good reason. Whatever inconsistencies Auburn has had, it is not a program that has simply appeared out of nowhere from time to time. The Tigers have won a championship since World War II - actually, two nationally recognized titles in 1957 and 2010 - plus four self-claimed ones in 1958, 1983, 1993 and 2004.
Klatt made the comment during an appearance on The Next Round.
“Auburn reminds me a lot of Texas A&M in that there's not a ton of consistency, but the expectations are always that they're going to be great... They're a popcorn program just like A&M. They're an average program that pops up every once in a while,” Klatt said.
The comparison may fit Texas A&M better than Auburn. Recent history has been far kinder to the Aggies than the decades-long picture, but Auburn’s track record is still built on more than occasional spikes.
During the 2010s, Auburn had three double-digit win seasons. Gene Chizik coached the 2010 national championship team, and Gus Malzahn followed by taking over and leading Auburn to a national championship game appearance three years later. Malzahn also had the Tigers in the 2017 SEC Championship Game.
That’s not the profile of an afterthought. Tommy Tuberville’s Auburn teams were usually around nine wins, and his 2004 squad famously went undefeated.
Texas A&M’s recent coaching history tells a different story. Since 2000, each Aggies coach has had just one nine-win regular season. Jimbo Fisher technically did not, though the source notes the Aggies likely would have gotten there in 2020 if the season had been played in full.
So while A&M has flashed big seasons in between long stretches of mediocrity, Auburn has shown it can hit higher peaks more than once. The Tigers have reached program highs the Aggies have never matched.
That’s why the “popcorn” label feels off for Auburn, even if the national conversation often treats both schools as easier targets than Alabama or Texas. The biggest brands in the state tend to dominate the spotlight, and their in-state rivals can get reduced to a joke.
Auburn, though, has earned more respect than that. The Tigers may have had rough stretches, including under Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze, but the program’s history and its ability to climb to real heights make it a different kind of story than the one Klatt told.
Alex Golesh is different, though. His attention to detail and make him fit like a glove.
In Other News...
Georgia Oklahoma Line Says Something Fans Didn't Expect
Georgia heads into week four at 3-0 after handling Arkansas 45-17 in its SEC opener, and the next test brings a familiar kind of pressure: a high-profile matchup with Oklahoma that will say plenty about where this team stands early in the season. The Bulldogs are favored by 14 points, with the over-under sitting at 47.5, a line that reflects confidence in Georgia but also hints at a game that could get shaped by defense and field position rather than a shootout.
Oklahomas recent offensive struggles have changed the conversation around this one, even as its defense continues to look like the unit that can keep things tight. For Georgia, the early-season momentum is real, but this is the kind of noon-adjacent spotlight game that can expose whether a hot start is built to last when the competition stiffens. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, September 26, and the betting market has already made clear what it thinks of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Won't Love This Detail About The Oklahoma Game
Georgia heads into Saturdays matchup with Oklahoma still unbeaten, and the setting should fit the stakes. The Bulldogs are 3-0 after their first three games and will host the Sooners in Athens on Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. EST, with ESPN carrying the first SEC home game of the season.
The betting line reflects what Georgia has built so far, with DraftKings Sportsbook installing the Bulldogs as 14-point favorites and setting the over-under at 47.5. Even with home-field advantage and a strong start, the Sooners bring enough brand value to make this one of the more attention-grabbing games on Georgias early schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Just Lost A Marquee Chance Fans Were Counting On
Oklahomas early-season slide has taken some of the shine off Georgias upcoming schedule, because what once looked like a marquee matchup no longer carries the same weight in the rankings. The Sooners opened the year at No. 10, but after three weeks they were out of the AP Poll, even with a recent win, which means Georgia will not get the ranked victory some fans had circled for this weekend.
Georgia still sits at No. 2 and the path ahead remains lined with chances to add to its rsum. Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Missouri all loom as possible ranked opponents later on, though those standings could shift before the Bulldogs ever see them. For now, one expected statement game has lost some of its bite, and the attention turns to which of the upcoming matchups can still deliver the kind of win Georgia was hoping for. [Read more 🡒]