Auburn’s upset of No. 1 Georgia has changed the look of the Tigers’ postseason path, and the latest bowl projections show a program suddenly trending upward. With four wins in hand, Auburn needs two more to get bowl eligible for the first time in three seasons, and ESPN’s Football Power Index has the Tigers hitting that mark with wins over Arkansas, Mississippi State and Samford in November for a 7-5 finish.
That victory over Georgia has pushed Auburn into a better spot across the national bowl forecasts, with several outlets now confident the Tigers will at least reach a postseason game. The one thing that could shift the conversation in a hurry is Saturday’s matchup with No. 17 LSU, which could alter Auburn’s bowl destination in a major way.
USA TODAY Sports still has Auburn headed to Birmingham. Erick Smith’s latest projection keeps the Tigers in the Birmingham Bowl against Memphis, even though Memphis is 5-2 after a loss to Tulane and will try to rebound Thursday against ECU.
ESPN has Auburn landing in Birmingham in one projection, but not in the same version as last week. Mark Schlabach holds firm with Auburn against NC State in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec.
- The Wolfpack enter this weekend at 3-3 and are set to face Stanford, with California, Duke, Florida State and North Carolina still ahead.
Kyle Bonagura, meanwhile, moved off his previous Birmingham Bowl pick and now has Auburn meeting USF in the Gasparilla Bowl. That matchup would bring plenty of familiar faces together, with Alex Golesh, Byrum Brown, Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod and others potentially lining up against their former team.
CBS Sports sees a higher-end destination in play. Brad Crawford, who left Auburn out of last week’s projection, now has the Tigers in the Music City Bowl against Wisconsin in Nashville. Auburn and Wisconsin have met four times, with three of those coming in bowl games, and their last meeting was the 2015 Outback Bowl, which Wisconsin won 34-31.
Athlon Sports also moved Auburn back into its bowl picture. Steven Lassan projects the Tigers to face Cincinnati in the Independence Bowl on Dec.
- Auburn has appeared in that game in Shreveport, Louisiana only once, beating Army 32-29 in the 1996 Independence Bowl.
On3 keeps Auburn closer to home. Brett McMurphy projects the Tigers against TCU in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec.
- Pat Sullivan connects the two programs: he won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 as Auburn’s quarterback and later served as TCU’s head coach from 1992-97.
If that matchup happens, it would take place in Sullivan’s hometown of Birmingham.
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Auburns First Alabama Test Already Put One Tigers Role In Focus
An exhibition in Birmingham gave Alabama and Auburn an early chance to size each other up, and it also offered a useful preview of where Auburn stands in Steven Pearls second year. With the preseason still unfolding, the Tigers used the first half to sort through rotations and roles against a familiar SEC rival, while Alabama brought back key pieces in Aden Holloway and Amari Allen and looked every bit like a team that already knows what it wants to be.
For Auburn, the bigger takeaway was less about the scoreboard and more about how one role is starting to take shape against real competition. Early in the preseason, those minutes matter, especially in a matchup where every possession gets a little more attention than usual. The Tigers got an immediate read on one players place in the rotation, and that kind of clarity can be just as valuable in October as any final result. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Alabama Clash Brought Out A Fire Tigers Fans Will Notice
Auburns preseason matchup with Alabama had the feel of a tune-up until a chippy exchange between Thomas Dowd and Keitenn Bristow helped spark a benches-clearing altercation. What followed was the kind of sideline volatility that can turn an exhibition into a glimpse of the edge both programs bring into this rivalry, with Auburn head coach Steven Pearl and Alabama coach Nate Oats getting into a heated exchange of their own and four players picking up technical fouls.
For Auburn, the more interesting part may have been the response. The Tigers came out with noticeably more energy and played better in the first half after the incident, a sign that the emotional temperature of the game seemed to suit them. In a matchup that was supposed to be about getting work in before the games start to count, Auburn at least left with a reminder of the intensity this rivalry can produce. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Georgia Shocker Means Nothing If LSU Exposes This Next
Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia bought the Tigers a fresh dose of belief, but it does not change what comes next. Hosting No. 18 LSU with both teams sitting at 2-2 in conference play, Auburn gets another chance to turn one signature win into real momentum, and the setup is a far different kind of test than the one it passed last week.
LSU arrives with an offense that can make a night uncomfortable in a hurry, especially with tight end TreyDez Green expected back in the mix and quarterback Sam Leavitt coming off a strong showing. The Tigers are still carrying the edge of home-field advantage and the confidence from the Georgia shocker, but if Auburn cannot handle what LSU brings on offense, that victory over the Bulldogs will fade fast in the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]