Paul Finebaum didn’t mince words after Auburn’s home loss to Florida, and he aimed his criticism far beyond the field.
Auburn’s defense had its roughest outing of the season, failing to force a punt until the fourth quarter, while Byrum Brown also struggled, especially early. But on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum said the bigger issue was who Auburn hired - or didn’t hire - before the season.
“I still like Alex Golesh a lot but I blame athletic director John Cohen for this loss,” Finebaum said. “This game was lost Thanksgiving Weekend of 2025 when [Cohen's] massive ego got in the way of hiring Jon Sumrall.
It should've been done. He intended to do it.
Every Auburn fan was expecting it.
"An athletic director cost Auburn a football game. I thought Alex Golesh has done about as much as he could do.”
Auburn did come close to landing Jon Sumrall, with reports in December suggesting the move was all but finished. But the reasons it fell apart remain tangled in rumor, including talk that Cohen wanted Sumrall to keep D.J. Durkin on staff and that Auburn didn’t want Sumrall to finish the season with Tulane while the Green Wave were in the playoffs.
What is clear is that the conversation around Cohen is only getting louder. If Golesh can’t show major improvement by the end of the year, the criticism over Cohen missing on another coaching hire is going to keep building, especially with his last two hires already viewed as failures.
The numbers around Auburn’s recent slide are hard to ignore, either. Since Cohen took over as athletic director in October 2022, Auburn is 6-19 in SEC play and 18-21 overall.
Finebaum said Auburn can still put together a decent season, but he made it plain that the chance at something bigger slipped away with Saturday night’s loss to Florida.
Golesh and Auburn now turn to Vanderbilt next week at home, with the Commodores coming to the Plains for the final home game before Auburn heads on the road to Tennessee and Georgia. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. Central Time.
In Other News...
Auburns Florida Loss Looks Worse Once You See What Broke Down
Auburns loss to Florida was bad enough on the scoreboard, but the deeper look makes it sting even more. The Tigers scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and still came up short in a 44-39 game, a reminder that the late rally could not erase how much ground they lost earlier with the defense unable to get stops and the offense forced to fight through pressure all day.
The numbers behind the performance point to a breakdown on both sides of the ball. Auburn missed 24 tackles, and the offense had trouble finding rhythm when the passing game was under duress and the rushing attack could not consistently move the chains. The snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades only sharpen the picture, and they leave plenty for Auburn to sort through as it tries to turn a frustrating loss into something more usable going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Has A Defensive Problem Golesh Did Not See Coming
Auburns SEC opener against Florida left the Tigers searching for answers on a side of the ball that has usually been a point of pride. Instead, Alex Golesh said he did not see the emotional, unsettled defensive performance coming, as Florida rolled up 44 points and 495 yards in a game that exposed issues Auburn rarely wants to carry into conference play.
DJ Durkin said the defense was too amped up, and it showed in the basics, from missed tackles to shaky communication. Auburn now has to reset quickly before Vanderbilt comes to town, because the next SEC matchup is less about explaining what went wrong in Gainesville and more about proving the problems can be cleaned up fast. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Offense Is Improving But One Concern Still Looms
Auburns offense has taken a few encouraging steps through its first three games, but the results have still been uneven enough to leave room for concern. Under head coach Alex Golesh, the Tigers are 2-1 and have already absorbed a loss in their SEC opener against Florida, while the production to this point has placed them eighth in the league in total yards per game and 10th in yards per play.
The issues have been easy to spot, especially up front and in the running game, where the offensive line has needed attention. Byrum Browns hesitation has also limited the downfield passing attack, and the staff has responded with personnel changes along the line and a push to open things up vertically. Auburn is clearly trying to move past the early inconsistency, but the part of the offense that can change the ceiling still looks like the biggest question. [Read more 🡒]