Auburn’s path to bowl season is still a steep one, but ESPN’s latest projections say the Tigers can get there - and one of those forecasts sends them into a matchup with a very familiar face.
After Week 5, ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both put Auburn into bowl games when they released their predictions on Monday. Schlabach has Auburn meeting North Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, while Bonagura went a different direction and pegged the Tigers against the University of South Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
That South Florida prediction would carry extra weight for Auburn because the Tigers are now led by former USF head coach Alex Golesh. If that matchup actually comes to pass, it would be the second time this season Golesh’s team has lined up against one of his old programs, with Tennessee already on the schedule.
USF, though, looks very different from the team Golesh left behind. A major chunk of the Bulls’ offense - including quarterback Byrum Brown, running back Nykahi Davenport and a group of receivers and other talent - transferred to Auburn with Golesh. New USF coach Brian Hartline has been left to rebuild around what remains.
The bigger issue for Auburn is simply getting to six wins. The Tigers sit at three wins through Week 5, but the back half of the schedule makes the climb tricky. Auburn is favored in only two of its remaining games, against Arkansas and Florida, and is listed as an underdog against Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama.
That means the Tigers likely need to handle Arkansas and Samford and then pull off at least one upset to secure bowl eligibility. It’s not a simple path, but if Auburn can steal one of those tougher games, the rest of the must-win stretch should be manageable.
For Golesh and Auburn, getting back to a bowl would also mean the program’s first postseason trip since 2023.
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Auburn Fans Have Every Right To Hate This SEC TV Decision
Auburns Week 7 trip to Georgia is the kind of rivalry-week measuring stick that usually commands a standalone window, but the SEC schedule has it locked into the same 3:30 p.m. ET slot as Alabamas clash with Tennessee. For fans in Alabama, that creates an irritating split-screen dilemma between two of the leagues biggest games, and it lands in a state where Birmingham is one of college footballs strongest viewing markets.
The real frustration is what got pushed aside. ABCs night window went to Notre Dame vs. BYU, a choice shaped by broadcast rights and the networks view of what will draw the largest audience. For Auburn fans already bracing for a tough afternoon in Athens, it is another reminder that even when the SEC delivers the matchups, the TV schedule does not always cooperate. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Just Gave Fans A Reason To Watch One Elite Recruiting Battle
Auburn has jumped into one of the more eye-catching early recruiting battles of the cycle by offering a scholarship to Jeremiah Tillman, a four-star edge rusher and linebacker in the 2029 class. The Tigers are trying to stay in the mix with a prospect who is already drawing national attention, with Alabama, Florida and Tennessee among the other programs in pursuit.
Tillman has a visit to Auburn set for October 24, giving the Tigers a chance to make their case in person and lean on what he has already said appeals to him about the program. He has shown interest in Auburns defensive culture and atmosphere, and those are the kinds of traits that can matter when a recruit is weighing one elite option after another. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Heads Into Bye Week Clinging To One Reason For Hope
Auburns second loss to Tennessee sent the Tigers into the bye week with plenty to sort through, but there was still one encouraging sign buried in the aftermath. Center Cole Best pointed to the teams unity and its refusal to fold under the pressure of another setback, and that matters for a group trying to steady itself while adjusting to SEC competition. There was also a small but meaningful uptick in the run game after halftime, a reminder that the offense did find a little traction before the final whistle.
Head coach Alex Golesh has stayed consistent in how he handles the rough patches, keeping the focus on accountability without turning the conversation into a public blame game. Even so, the bigger concern remains the one hovering over the season: Auburn may simply be running into a talent gap against league opponents. The bye week now becomes less about celebrating progress than figuring out whether that resilience and those late-game adjustments can turn into something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]