The College Football Playoff is about to get a lot bigger, but Auburn coach Alex Golesh wasn’t exactly ready to break out the deep thoughts when the news landed Monday.
It was reported that a 24-team playoff is coming in 2027, which will wipe out the current 12-team format after this season. The SEC also announced that it will no longer play its annual championship game beginning next season, setting up a postseason landscape that looks very different from what college football has been used to.
Golesh was asked about both changes during his Monday press conference, and his response was brief.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Golesh said during his Monday press conference. “Great, more opportunity for everybody.”
When the SEC title game came up, he kept it just as simple.
“we’ll cross that bridge when we get there too.”
Auburn has never reached the College Football Playoff, whether the field was four teams or 12. The Tigers’ closest brush came in 2017, back when only four teams made the cut. Since the playoff expanded to 12 in 2024, Auburn has not been in the mix as a true contender.
A 24-team format could change that picture quickly. With more openings, more programs will have a path into the field, and it may not take the kind of win total that has usually been required to stay in the hunt.
Auburn is sitting at 5-4 right now, and its win over Georgia could put the Tigers in position to be part of that larger conversation if they win out. That’s still a hypothetical for the committee to sort through, but the broader point is clear: more teams will have a seat at the table.
Golesh, though, wasn’t spending much time on the playoff math.
“I was literally mid-clip on Mississippi State and came in here,” Golesh said. “So, it’s got to be great. I don’t know if anybody would care what I think on that anyways.”
In Other News...
Auburns New-Look Rotation Already Has Two Tough Problems To Solve
Auburns season opener against Southeastern Louisiana offered an early look at just how much turnover this roster is managing. Eight of the 10 players in the rotation were making their official team debuts, including Owen Freeman and Kolby King, and both newcomers were asked to jump in right away. Freeman is still working back from a foot injury, while King arrived after dealing with eligibility issues, but each still found a way to contribute in limited minutes as the Tigers began sorting out roles.
Steven Pearl made it clear the integration has been deliberate, not accidental, as Auburn tries to blend so many fresh faces into a workable rotation. The challenge now is less about identifying talent than figuring out how quickly all of those pieces can settle into place, especially with two players still navigating their own separate hurdles before this group can really show its full shape. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Gets One Last Tune-Up Before A Much Bigger Test
Auburn gets one more chance to settle in at Neville Arena on Monday night, when Appalachian State comes to town for a final tune-up before the schedule stiffens. Steven Pearl has already pointed to the Mountaineers defensive strengths and their depth, a reminder that this is not just a routine home date even if it comes before a much bigger test for the Tigers.
The game will air live on SEC Network and stream on Fubo, with radio coverage on the Auburn Sports Network for fans following along the old-fashioned way. For Auburn, the matchup is less about the spotlight and more about sharpening habits, getting the rotation into rhythm and making sure the details are cleaner before the next step up in competition. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Defensive Breakout Raised One Big Question About A Freshman
Shadarius Toodles first college game looked less like a debut and more like a statement. The Auburn freshman linebacker erupted against Arkansas with 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, piling up a performance that rewrote multiple program records and instantly changed the conversation around the Tigers defense. Alex Golesh was effusive afterward, and the tone from the sideline suggested Auburn may have been slow to get the freshman on the field in the first place.
The bigger takeaway for Auburn is how much young talent showed up in the same game. Blake Woodby and AnQuon Fegans were part of the defensive surge as well, giving the Tigers a glimpse of a unit that may be building around its younger players faster than expected. The question now is whether Toodles breakout was a one-game jolt or the start of a much larger role in Auburns defensive plans. [Read more 🡒]