Auburn’s name should be in the AP Top 25, and not tucked outside the door after what the Tigers just did in Athens.
The 27-24 upset of Georgia as a three-score underdog should have been enough to put Auburn into the Week 8 rankings on its own. Instead, the Tigers were left out, even though the 4-2 team has already stacked up a resume that deserves a place in the poll. In a fairer setup, Auburn is sitting inside the top 25, not watching several two-loss SEC teams get the nod ahead of it.
That omission is even harder to justify when the rest of the ranking is laid out. The poll was heavily tilted toward the Big 12, and Auburn’s case looks stronger than some of the teams that landed above it.
At the top, BYU holds No. 2 after surviving a tense finish against Notre Dame, helped by a non-PI call on the final play with the ball near the Cougars’ goal line. Miami stays at No. 3, but the Hurricanes do not look like a No. 1 team after needing overtime against Florida State. Notre Dame checks in at No. 4, followed by Indiana at No. 5 after falling only because it lost to the preseason No. 1 and did so on one of the final plays of the game.
Ole Miss lands at No. 6, and Georgia drops to No. 7 after the loss to Auburn, though not nearly as far as the result should have sent it. UCLA comes in at No. 8 under Bob Chesney, with the Bruins getting credit for having better wins than Texas Tech, which sits one spot behind at No.
- Tennessee is No. 10 after beating Alabama, a result that should have pushed the Volunteers into the top 10 anyway.
Kentucky is next at No. 11, and the source of its rise is clear: Will Stein has changed the Wildcats. Utah is No. 12, with its Arkansas win continuing to age well and a chance ahead to make another statement against the Coogs at home in front of a national audience. Iowa is slotted at No. 13 despite a blowout loss to Ohio State at home, and Houston follows at No. 14 after earning a ranking that the AP got right.
USC checks in at No. 15, still searching for a signature win but mostly taking care of business outside of a sloppy performance against Oregon. Wake Forest is No. 16, one of the early season surprises, with only the Hurricanes on its loss sheet and a win over Louisville already in hand. Texas sits at No. 17 after the best win of any team this season against Ohio State and another strong victory over Tennessee, even if its losses remain hard to explain.
LSU is No. 18, with losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky seen as forgivable, though Lane Kiffin’s presence makes the disappointment feel bigger because of his price-tag and NIL demands. Alabama lands at No. 19, where even the big wins come with a caveat: the defense has given up too many points for Nick Saban’s comfort. Florida is No. 20, and Auburn finally appears at No. 21 - though only after being left out entirely by the AP.
From there, Northwestern is No. 22 and gets credit for pushing the defending champions in its only loss. James Madison is No. 23 and still undefeated, which makes its omission from the rankings hard to square even as a Sun Belt team. Missouri’s home win over Florida does a lot of work in keeping the Tigers in the conversation, and SMU rounds out the list at No. 25 as an early ACC contender under Rhett Lashlee.
Auburn’s place in that group should not be up for debate. It should have been there already.
In Other News...
Alex Golesh Made One Auburn Decision Fans Will Talk About All Week
Alex Golesh had plenty to process after Auburns 27-24 upset of Georgia in Week 7, and the first-year head coach let the emotion show in a postgame interview. The win did more than just break through against a longtime rival. It also snapped Georgias 93-game home winning streak against unranked opponents and gave Golesh his first SEC road victory since taking over at Auburn.
The larger conversation around the game may end up centering on the choices Golesh made before kickoff, especially the decision to suspend linebacker Xavier Atkins. In a season where every SEC result can reshape the mood around a program, Auburns staff will get plenty of credit for the way it managed the week and put the Tigers in position to come away with one of the programs most eye-catching wins in recent memory. [Read more 🡒]
Elijah Melendezs Early Hit Changed Everything In Auburns Georgia Upset
Elijah Melendezs early punch to Georgias offense helped set the tone in Auburns 27-24 win, and the Tigers defense kept leaning on that edge all night. The linebacker was everywhere, finishing with nine tackles, a sack and an interception, and his first big hit helped knock Gunner Stockton out briefly with a stinger before the Georgia quarterback returned.
In Stocktons absence, backup Ryan Puglisi stepped in and completed several passes, giving Georgia enough to stay alive in a tight game. But Auburns defense never let the moment fully swing away, and Melendezs disruptive afternoon ended up being one of the key reasons the Tigers were able to pull off the upset. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Admits What Let Auburn Steal One In Athens
Kirby Smart didnt try to sugarcoat what happened in Athens. After Auburn walked out of Sanford Stadium with a 27-24 win, the Georgia coach pointed to the self-inflicted damage that swung the game, including two interceptions and a late fumble by quarterback Gunner Stockton. He also gave Auburn credit for staying composed in a hostile building and for making the kind of disciplined, clean plays that can turn a tight SEC game.
A big part of that was Byrum Brown, who kept finding ways to move the Tigers offense with his legs and his arm. Brown finished with 265 all-purpose yards, threw a touchdown pass and scored on the ground, giving Auburn enough balance to keep Georgia under pressure until the end. For Auburn, it was the kind of road win that can travel well, built as much on execution as on opportunity. [Read more 🡒]