Auburn’s 2025 season had the kind of numbers that make you do a double take. Under Hugh Freeze, the Tigers dropped all six of their one-score conference games, the most of any team in any conference, and that ugly run helped fuel the idea that Auburn was simply cursed by bad breaks.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli made that case while digging through the results. “Based on the numbers we're looking at, there's an argument to be made that Auburn was the unluckiest team,” he said.
“It had a positive turnover margin in these games, but not to the ridiculous extent Kansas State did. The Tigers went 0-6 in these games, with their lone two-score conference loss being a 20-10 defeat at Georgia.
So even that loss was close.”
But Fornelli didn’t stop there, and his bigger point was that luck only tells part of the story. In his view, Auburn’s real problem was much simpler - and much harsher.
“However, I don't think this was about luck as much as I think it was about a horrific offense,” he said. “The reason Auburn was in so many close games last year was its phenomenal defense, which kept games close.
At the same time, there was the wild 45-38 overtime loss to Vanderbilt, but the Tigers' defense didn't allow more than 27 points in any other SEC game. The offense just couldn't score any d- points of its own to win these games.”
That offensive collapse is what makes Auburn’s situation so tricky heading into 2026. The good news is that most of that “phenomenal” defense is expected back under Alex Golesh, and the offense is being rebuilt almost from scratch.
When Freeze was dismissed, nearly the entire offense went with him. Jeremiah Cobb is the lone returning starter from last season’s team, which forced Golesh to rebuild the unit with a heavy dose of players who followed him from USF.
That doesn’t mean Auburn is starting from zero. Byrum Brown, Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger have all flashed playmaking ability against Power Four teams, and that gives the Tigers at least some reason to believe the new-look offense can hold up in the SEC.
If that group clicks, Auburn’s bad luck narrative could fade fast. But even with a stronger offense, getting back to a deep SEC run will still take a huge effort from both the coaches and the players.
In Other News...
A Familiar Auburn Coaching Target Just Sent A Brutal Message
Rhett Lashlees name always seems to hover around the bigger openings whenever a coaching carousel gets rolling, and this latest cycle was no different. The SMU head coach again drew attention from programs with deeper histories and bigger budgets, but he opted to stay put as the Mustangs continue to build momentum under his watch, a decision that keeps him on the radar for Auburn fans who have watched his rise closely.
The more interesting part is why Lashlee is content to wait. According to The Athletics Chris Vannini, he sees enough at SMU right now to pass on a jump, including the kind of support and path that can keep a coach from chasing the next available seat. For Auburn, it is another reminder that the search for the right fit is as much about timing and perception as it is about pedigree, and Lashlees latest choice only sharpens the question of what would have to change before he ever seriously entertains a return to the SEC stage. [Read more 🡒]
This New Auburn Piece Could Change How Dangerous This Team Looks
Thomas Dowds move gives Auburn another layer in the frontcourt, and it is the kind of addition that can quietly change the way a roster looks on paper. The 6-foot-8 forward from Dothan arrives with one year of eligibility remaining after transferring from Troy, and he made clear this week that he is eager to get to work and help the Tigers in whatever role they need. Auburn has spent the offseason reshaping the roster, adding seven other players as well, so this is not a one-piece fix so much as part of a broader overhaul.
What makes Dowd interesting is how he fits into that bigger picture. Auburn has stocked up on new faces across the roster, and the mix now includes size, experience and a group of players who should give the staff more options than it had a year ago. Dowds presence only adds to the sense that this team could be more dangerous than it first appears, especially if the new pieces settle in quickly and the chemistry comes together the way Auburn is hoping. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns 2025 Collapse Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Bad Luck
Auburns 2025 season ended up looking less like a random pile of bad breaks and more like a case study in how thin the margin for error can get when a program keeps tripping over its own issues. CBS Sports pegged the Tigers as the unluckiest team in college football, and the numbers backed up the frustration: Auburn went 0-6 in games where it won the turnover battle, a brutal reminder that extra possessions did not translate into enough points or enough stability.
The bigger concern is what those losses said about the program itself. Auburns offense never found much traction, the coaching situation stayed unsettled, and the broader management picture has remained shaky since the split with Gus Malzahn in 2020. With the Tigers now on their fourth head coach in six years, the conversation around Auburn is no longer just about unfortunate bounces. It is about whether the people running the program have been able to build anything durable at all. [Read more 🡒]