November gives Auburn a different kind of test.
October was a grind, and the numbers make that plain. The Tigers went through four teams currently ranked in the top 16 nationally - Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss - with all but one of those games coming on the road.
If all four finish ranked, it would be the first time Auburn has faced that many ranked teams in a row since 1999, when the Tigers saw five straight. That stretch is a big reason Sports Reference lists the 2026 schedule as the third-toughest in program history, behind only 1983 and 1972.
The offense took the brunt of it. Auburn averaged 4.72 yards per play in October, its worst single-month mark since November 2021.
The Tigers topped two touchdowns only once, and that came in the stunning road win at Georgia, the SEC’s scoring defense leader. Go figure.
That kind of month can bury a season’s momentum. It also can distort what a first-year staff is trying to build under Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon. Auburn’s offense is only a hair ahead of the 2025 unit in yards per play and points per game, but that’s not exactly the standard anyone in this program had in mind.
Still, the calendar has turned, and the path looks more manageable now. Auburn has one month left in the regular season and is still chasing its first bowl appearance since 2023 and its first winning record since 2020.
The next two SEC games - Arkansas and Mississippi State - come against two of the three worst defenses in the league by yards per play. Vanderbilt, which Auburn beat in September, is the other one.
Unlike the gauntlet the Tigers just survived, these are opponents that do not bring an obvious talent edge on paper.
That creates a real opening for Auburn to reset the tone. The offense has a chance to wash away what happened in October and start stacking something more useful for the future under this staff.
One of the biggest jobs ahead is sorting out the offensive line, and more specifically, figuring out who belongs in the 2027 plan. Auburn can’t let the damage from October spill into November.
In Other News...
Auburn Gets A Start Time Fans Have Reason To Dread
Auburns Week 11 trip to Mississippi State now comes with an early alarm clock. The Southeastern Conference announced Saturday that the Tigers will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Nov. 14 from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, with the game set for ESPN or ESPN2.
It is the kind of start time fans usually dread for a road game in the SEC, especially with a tough conference matchup on deck and the usual uncertainty that comes with TV selections this far out. The league also laid out the rest of its Week 11 slate, but Auburns focus will be on getting ready for a morning kickoff in Starkville. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn May Have Found An Answer On Its Shaky Offensive Line
Auburns offensive line has been one of the more unsettled parts of the season, so Jacobe Wards first start at right guard against Ole Miss stood out as a notable development. The sophomore had been working in limited action before earning the job after a competition with teammate Cole Skinner, giving the Tigers a new look at a spot that has needed more stability.
Alex Golesh said the lines performance will continue to be evaluated, and Auburn appears likely to keep rotating pieces as the final games of the season play out. For a unit still searching for the right combination, Wards emergence at least gives the staff another option to consider as it tries to settle things down up front. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn May Have Found The WR Answer It Suddenly Needed
Christian Neptunes timing could not have been much better. With Jeremiah Koger out, Auburn needed another receiver to step into a bigger role, and Neptune delivered his best game yet in the loss to Ole Miss, finishing with five catches for 53 yards while handling more of the passing-game load than usual.
Alex Golesh came away impressed with the way Neptune played, pointing to a confident and complete performance that fit what Auburn was asking for in the moment. The bigger question now is whether that showing can carry over if Koger remains limited, with the Tigers set to get another look at the receiver room before next weeks matchup against Arkansas. [Read more 🡒]