Auburn’s first full week of Baylor prep comes with a small twist: the Tigers have a player who knows the Bears from the inside.
Running back Bryson Washington spent the previous three seasons at Baylor, and that background gives Auburn a little extra information as it gets ready for its Week 1 opponent. In the transfer portal era, that kind of overlap is becoming more common, but it still matters when teams are trying to piece together what another staff might show in a season opener.
The biggest edge for Auburn may be on the Baylor side of the ball Washington knows best. Baylor’s offense looked different from last season, but under offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, the scheme is still similar.
What has changed most is the personnel. Baylor lost most of its production in both the rushing and passing game, which means Auburn is studying a familiar system with a different cast.
Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said Washington is still locked in on getting ready to play, but the staff plans to lean on him more as the week goes on.
“He had a great game against Auburn a year ago and had two really, really good seasons there,” Golesh said. “We’ll certainly pick his brain and see what he’s got. But I know he’s excited for the game in a lot of ways.”
Golesh also pointed out that Auburn can pull some useful details from last year’s defensive work against Baylor, even if the offense is harder to forecast. Baylor changed defensive coordinators after last season, though Dave Aranda remains a defensive-minded head coach and likely still shapes that side of the ball.
The same kind of uncertainty works both ways. Baylor is looking at an Auburn defense that should resemble last season’s version, while Auburn’s offense is basically starting over with a new staff and a new group of players.
“Week 1 is always an interesting chess match, because you’ve got multiple things you’re looking at and you’re trying to guess a lot,” Golesh said. “That’s what makes it kind of unique.
“You take this extra week, which sometimes, again, can be detrimental because now you’re just digging deeper and deeper, which can either mean you’re going to be more detailed or it can mean that you’re just going down rabbit holes that don’t exist.”
Auburn and Baylor meet Sept. 6 at 2:30 p.m. CT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be on ABC.
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