Auburn’s 2026 season is shaping up as the start of something new, with Alex Golesh stepping in as head coach after Hugh Freeze. The schedule does not make that transition easy. The Tigers are staring at an SEC slate packed with ranked opponents, brutal road environments, and the Iron Bowl closing things out in Tuscaloosa.
Auburn Tigers on SI writers Griffin Barfield and Brooks Crew both laid out how they see the year unfolding, game by game, and both have the Tigers reaching bowl eligibility.
The opener gets the first dose of optimism. Barfield has Auburn beating Baylor 42-24, pointing to the chemistry Golesh already has with his offense and Byrum Brown leading the way. Crew is even more convinced, calling for a 38-24 win and saying Auburn’s rushing attack should overwhelm a weakened Baylor ground defense, with Brown and Jeremiah Cobb combining for more than 250 rushing yards.
From there, the Tigers keep rolling in the home opener. Barfield sees a 59-14 win, while Crew goes with 66-10. Both picks lean on Auburn’s offense finding its rhythm early, with Crew specifically expecting Brown to show off as a passer and Tristian Ti’a to make his mark in front of the home crowd.
The first real test comes next, and both writers still have Auburn surviving it. Barfield picked a 31-27 win, calling it a make-or-break game for Golesh and saying the home crowd helps swing things late. Crew also sees a close finish, projecting a 24-21 win decided by an Alex McPherson field goal.
Auburn’s next two SEC games are also wins in both forecasts. Against Vanderbilt, Barfield expects a 27-13 victory and says the defense can carry the day. Crew has Auburn winning 38-17, noting that the Tigers scored 38 last year with DJ Durkin as head coach and Ashton Daniels at quarterback, and sees Vanderbilt’s offense stalling against a battle-tested Auburn defense.
Then comes the first loss. Both writers have Tennessee beating Auburn in Knoxville, with Barfield taking the Vols 24-21 and Crew calling it 27-24. Barfield points to Tennessee’s defense and Auburn’s first true road game, while Crew says he can’t quite see Golesh walking in and taking one from his former head coach.
Georgia is next, and both picks go the same way too. Barfield has Auburn falling 28-24, and Crew projects a 31-27 loss. Both acknowledge how hard it is to win at home against Kirby Smart’s team, even if Auburn hangs around.
The LSU game brings another split in the predictions. Barfield sees a 35-31 Auburn loss, citing the talent on the Bayou Bengals’ roster. Crew, though, has the Tigers pulling it out 34-28 in Jordan-Hare at noon, with Byrum Brown and Jeremiah Cobb carrying the offense and one of the Bulls’ many transfer receivers catching a big touchdown.
Auburn then heads to Oxford on Halloween, and both writers think Ole Miss wins. Barfield has it 31-21, calling it a battle and pointing to Trinidad Chambliss as the difference. Crew sees a 34-27 loss and says Chambliss throws at least four touchdowns.
After that, Auburn’s home stretch turns back in the Tigers’ favor. Barfield has a 42-17 win before the Iron Bowl, saying Auburn snaps the losing streak. Crew picks 38-14 and says the Tigers earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023.
Mississippi State is another Auburn win in both projections. Barfield goes 38-24 and says Brown has another strong game. Crew has it 48-31, dismissing the “trap game” label and trusting Auburn’s offense to keep pace and then some.
Samford is the easiest call on the board. Barfield has Auburn winning 56-10, while Crew goes with 65-10 and notes that the real matchup is next week.
That leaves the Iron Bowl, and both writers have Alabama ending Auburn’s run. Barfield predicts a 27-24 loss and says the home crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium, along with quarterback Keelon Russell’s athleticism, will be too much. Crew also sees a narrow Alabama win, 35-31, and says Auburn doesn’t quite finish the job in Tuscaloosa.
Taken together, both projections paint a clear picture: Auburn starts fast, takes a few punches in the middle of SEC play, and still gets back to a bowl game in Golesh’s first season.
In Other News...
Auburns Atlanta Opener Created A Tradeoff Fans Immediately Noticed
Moving Auburns season opener to Mercedes-Benz Stadium gave the program a different kind of stage for its Aflac Kickoff Game, and it came with a tradeoff fans noticed right away. The atmosphere was not what Jordan-Hare Stadium would have delivered, but Auburn still brought a strong contingent to Atlanta and made sure the place did not feel like a neutral site for long.
Athletics director John Cohen said the move was shaped in part by a lucrative NIL deal for players, which gave the decision a broader football-business context beyond the usual scheduling conversation. Some season ticket holders stayed home instead of making the trip, but Auburn still held the majority of fan support and carried a 10-7 halftime lead over Baylor, a sign the Tigers made the arrangement work even if the crowd size did not match a home opener. [Read more 🡒]
Former Auburn QB Is Finally Getting The Chance He Never Had
After a frustrating start to his college career, Hank Brown is finally getting the kind of opportunity that never quite came together at Auburn. The former Tigers quarterback, a 3-star recruit in the 2023 class, transferred to Iowa before the 2025 season and spent much of that first year waiting for a real opening while seeing limited action.
Brown stayed with the Hawkeyes into 2026, and the payoff arrived in Week 1 when he was named the starter against Northern Illinois. He rewarded that trust with a touchdown pass, a small but meaningful step for a quarterback whose path has been more about patience and persistence than instant results. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's Offensive Line Battle May Be Smaller Than Fans Expected
Auburns offensive line competition has drawn plenty of attention this spring, but Alex Golesh made it sound like the picture is a little less crowded than some fans may have expected. The Tigers have eight linemen who have earned the right to play, yet Golesh said the staff is not looking to rotate bodies simply to keep people involved. If the group up front is holding up well, the starting five can stay put.
The spot still worth watching is left guard, where Auburn continues to evaluate options as camp moves along. Goleshs message was that the offensive line will be judged by performance and by the demands of each game, not by any preset plan to shuffle players in and out. For a unit trying to settle in, that leaves some room for competition, but not the kind of wholesale rotation some around the program may have been anticipating. [Read more 🡒]