Auburn’s new head coach isn’t spending much time gaming out the future of college football.
On Monday, as the sport prepared for a 24-team College Football Playoff beginning in 2027, Alex Golesh was asked for his reaction to the change. His answer made it clear he’s still locked in on the week ahead, not the sport’s next big structural shake-up.
“I don’t know if I’ve got any. I think the assumption has been for quite a while that it was going to go to 24 teams,” he said.
“So, I guess, great. I don’t really have a super opinion.”
The new format will also do away with conference championship games, which means Auburn’s final game of the regular season would become the Iron Bowl against Alabama. Golesh, though, didn’t sound like someone ready to spend much energy on that shift either.
“I was literally mid-clip on Mississippi State and came in here,” he said. “So, it’s got to be great.
I don’t know if it wasn’t. I don’t know anybody would care what I think on that anyways.”
That’s been the theme for Auburn coming off its win over Arkansas at home this past weekend. The Tigers are one victory away from bowl eligibility, and Golesh has kept his attention on the next step rather than the bigger picture.
Right now, that means Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon. Even with the playoff announcement making waves around the sport, Golesh said he’s been on film for the Bulldogs and not much else.
The SEC Championship hasn’t been part of Auburn’s reality since the 2017 season, when the Tigers lost to Georgia in the title game and missed the College Football Playoff. Auburn also hasn’t reached the postseason since the BCS national championship game in the 2013 season.
Since the rise of NIL, Auburn has slipped behind Georgia, Alabama and Texas, and Golesh’s message Monday suggested that the program has a long way to go before those larger conversations matter again.
“The SEC title game not existing, probably cross that bridge when we get there, too,” he said. “So, I just haven’t thought about it.”
Still, the expanded bracket does change the math in a broad sense. If Auburn were already playing under the 24-team setup this season, the Tigers would remain alive if they won out the rest of November. And in the years ahead, Golesh’s team could have a clearer path to stay in the mix deeper into the season.
For now, though, he’s keeping it simple.
“More opportunity for everybody, so let’s ride,” Golesh said.
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Auburns Bowl Push Comes With Real Upset Risk In Starkville
Auburn heads to Starkville with a chance to keep its winning streak alive and move one step closer to bowl eligibility, but this is the kind of SEC trip that can get tricky fast. Alex Golesh has already pointed to the early kickoff as one of the hurdles, and Auburn will need to bring a sharp, high-level effort against a Mississippi State team that has dropped five straight but still has enough pieces to make this uncomfortable.
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