Auburn fans have plenty to watch closely after Georgia and Clemson scrapped their home-and-home series, because the Tigers have their own heavyweight non-conference dates sitting on the calendar.
Auburn is scheduled to play Notre Dame in 2027 and 2028, then Miami in 2029 and 2030. For a fan base already dealing with a rough stretch, the idea of losing those trips would land hard, especially with the team coming off a poor defensive showing against Florida that has only added to the gloom around this season.
One thing Auburn has been able to lean on during the last five years of losses is the fact that the program has still lined up tough schedules. Penn State in 2021 and 2022, then Baylor in 2025 and 2026, gave the Tigers real non-conference tests. Baylor was expected to be the stiffer challenge because of its recruiting landscape and NIL setup, though that part of the conversation, as the source material notes, is neither here nor there.
The schedule still got a wrinkle when the conference slate moved to nine games and Auburn kept Baylor on for this year. But with Georgia and Clemson backing away from their series, the broader trend is easy to see: fewer teams seem interested in opening September against the best of the best.
A lot of programs, it seems, want to be Indiana now.
Since Curt Cignetti arrived in 2024, the Hoosiers have played Western Kentucky, Howard, North Texas, Indiana State, Kennesaw State, Old Dominion, Charlotte, Western Illinois, and FIU. After that run, Cignetti is one of the richest coaches in the sport, and Indiana went on to win the title in 2025/2026.
That doesn’t erase the fact that IU still played a strong Big Ten schedule in 2025, or the CFP run that included Alabama, Oregon, and Miami. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has also made his case for easing up on the schedule, pointing to Ohio State as a game that helped cost the Longhorns a CFP spot in 2025.
For Auburn, the concern is bigger than one canceled series. The Tigers have a fan base that travels, and trimming the number of reasons to head to non-SEC cities only drains more energy from the sport on the Plains. Auburn fans are hoping John Cohen doesn’t follow that path.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Wont Love How Alex Golesh Framed The Vanderbilt Game
Auburn is still trying to find its footing in the SEC, and Alex Golesh is approaching Week 4 like a coach focused on the long view rather than a single alarm bell. He said the matchup with Vanderbilt is not a must-win, instead stressing preparation, consistency and the process of building the program the right way. Golesh also pointed to the Tigers recent defensive issues as an area that has to improve if this team is going to settle in and compete the way it wants to.
That framing may not sit well with a fan base that is already anxious about the early-season picture, especially with Vanderbilt entering unbeaten and working with a new starting quarterback. Auburn does not have the luxury of ignoring the stakes in conference play, and the game offers another test of whether the Tigers can tighten up on defense and show real progress in a league that rarely gives anyone much room to breathe. [Read more 🡒]
Byrum Brown Is Fueling Auburns Biggest Early Season Debate
Byrum Brown has quickly become one of the biggest reasons Auburn has stayed interesting through the first few weeks of the season. Entering Week 4, he ranks fourth in the SEC in passing yards with 756, while also adding 180 yards on the ground, and his production has come with a little bit of everything attached. He has thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions, and Auburn has leaned on a receiving group that includes transfers from USF and a true freshman as it tries to sort out its offensive identity.
The bigger question around Brown is how much of Auburns early offense should run through him while the rushing attack continues to struggle. He has already delivered in key moments, including a notable game against Florida in which he accounted for multiple touchdowns, and that kind of playmaking can change how the Tigers approach every week. For Auburn, the debate now is not whether Brown matters, but how far his arm and legs can carry an offense still looking for more balance. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Need To See Which In-State Standouts Are Taking Off
Karlos Mays rise is another reminder that Alabamas best high school talent is already drawing national attention, and Auburn fans have plenty of reason to keep tabs on it. The defensive lineman, committed to Ohio State, is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state and the top-ranked lineman recruit in Alabama, putting him right at the center of the in-state conversation even as the next recruiting cycle starts to take shape.
There is also a broader pattern worth watching from last years top Alabama names once they got to college, with CD Morgan, EJ Crowell and DeShawn Spencer all beginning to show signs of early impact. Spencers path is especially relevant on the Plains, since Auburn coach Alex Golesh played a role in recruiting him, another small reminder that the states high-end talent is already linked back to Auburn in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]