Auburn’s win over Vanderbilt did more than get the Tigers back in the SEC win column. It also gave CBS Sports enough to keep them near the bottom of the league’s weekly power rankings, where Auburn landed 13th among 16 SEC teams.
That placement doesn’t exactly scream momentum, but it does reflect the kind of season Auburn has put together so far: not a total mess, just a team that hasn’t found a steady rhythm. The Tigers are 3-1, and CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford pointed to the Vanderbilt game as a glimpse of what Auburn’s first year under Alex Golesh can look like when things are working.
“The transition to the SEC hasn't exactly been smooth for Alex Golesh and his collection of South Florida transfers, although the Tigers are still 3-1,” he said. “The blueprint for success in Golesh's first year was on display last weekend against Vanderbilt.
Lean on the defense and let Byrum Brown run the offense. Maybe that keeps the Tigers in some games with a tough stretch upcoming.”
That’s been the story with Auburn so far: flashes, then lapses. The offense has shown real pop at times, but it has also taken too long to get moving. The defense has brought toughness, but mental mistakes and misalignments have opened the door for chunk plays.
And the schedule isn’t offering much breathing room. Auburn’s next month starts with Tennessee, then brings a trip to Athens to face Georgia, a home date with LSU, and a road game at Ole Miss to close out October.
In the same CBS rankings, Tennessee checks in eighth, Georgia second, LSU sixth, and Ole Miss fifth. That stretch leaves Auburn with plenty to prove, but it also gives the Tigers a chance to change the conversation fast.
The season is still early, and Auburn still has time to sharpen up the kind of consistency that can carry through longer games. If that happens, the Tigers could become a problem for the rest of the SEC.
If not, October could get ugly in a hurry for Auburn fans.
In Other News...
Auburn Found One Lifeline In An Uneven Win Before Tennessee
Auburn needed every bit of its special teams to survive Vanderbilt, and it got it in a game that was far from clean on offense. Cody Siglers blocked field goal and Cade Carlsons blocked punt returned for a touchdown supplied the kind of hidden-yardage swing that can change a tight afternoon, and head coach Alex Golesh pointed to those plays as decisive in the 21-15 win.
The performance still left plenty for Auburn to sort out before Tennessee arrives. The Tigers found a way to get a needed result, but the offense never fully took control, which makes the margin for error much thinner with a tougher SEC test next on the schedule. For a team trying to build momentum, the question now is whether those special teams sparks can carry over when the stakes get higher. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Defense Still Has One Issue Tennessee Could Expose
Auburns defense took a step forward in the win over Vanderbilt, doing a better job of limiting quarterback Jared Curtis than it had in the earlier loss to Florida. The improvement mattered, but it also came with a reminder that the Tigers are still working through some things on that side of the ball as the schedule gets tougher.
The main concern inside the program has been urgency, along with missed tackles that popped up even in a better showing. With Tennessee up next and Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss still looming, Auburn knows the margin for error is getting thinner, and several players along with the head coach have made it clear that the defense has to clean up those habits fast. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Have A Real Byrum Brown Debate Before Tennessee
Byrum Brown has already given Auburn enough to think about through the first four games, and not just because of the numbers. The quarterback has thrown for 869 yards and six touchdowns with five interceptions, a line that captures the push-and-pull of his start in orange and blue and helps explain why he was left off Josh Pates latest SEC quarterback rankings despite what he did at USF last season.
For Auburn, the conversation is less about reputation than reliability, especially with Tennessee coming next and the schedule only getting tougher from there. Brown has flashed the kind of production that can lift an offense, but the inconsistency has been hard to ignore, leaving fans split on how much confidence to place in him when the competition steps up again. [Read more 🡒]