Auburn Football’s Crossroads: Can Alex Golesh Stop the Slide Toward Irrelevance?
The dust has barely settled on Texas A&M’s 10-3 loss to Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff, but the fallout is already echoing across the SEC - and not in a way Auburn fans will enjoy. In the aftermath, Miami’s Gus Aspillaga didn’t just break down the game. He took a blowtorch to the Aggies’ résumé, calling into question whether they even deserved a seat at the playoff table in the first place.
Now, here’s where it gets uncomfortable for Auburn: in dissecting Texas A&M’s supposedly “historic” 11-1 regular season, Aspillaga pointed out that the Aggies racked up wins against seven of the nine worst teams in the SEC. The teams they beat?
All had .500 or worse conference records. And when it came time to face real competition - namely Texas, Notre Dame, and Miami - A&M went 1-2, with that lone win over Notre Dame coming by a single point in a game that still sparks debate.
The kicker? Auburn wasn’t even mentioned among the few teams that might’ve offered a real challenge. That’s not just a snub - it’s a reflection of where this program currently stands.
A Season That Fell Flat
Auburn’s 2025 campaign was supposed to be something more. More competitive.
More consistent. More relevant.
Instead, the Tigers found themselves fading into the background while the SEC's heavyweights fought for playoff spots.
Think about it: back in August, you’d be hard-pressed to find an Auburn fan who didn’t believe their team would at least be part of the conversation. Not necessarily a playoff lock, but a team that mattered.
A team that could make LSU sweat, out-tough Florida, or at least give South Carolina a run. But none of that materialized.
And now, as the calendar flips to a new year, Auburn football is barely a footnote outside of its most loyal fanbase.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a program with this kind of history. This kind of pride.
This kind of talent - because yes, the roster had pieces. But talent without execution?
That’s how you end up with five straight losing seasons.
The Golesh Gamble
Enter Alex Golesh. The new face tasked with halting what feels like a slow, painful slide into irrelevance.
This isn’t just about wins and losses anymore. It’s about identity.
Culture. Direction.
Auburn isn’t Colorado - a program that’s had its moments but hasn’t truly mattered on the national stage in decades. But that’s the cautionary tale.
Colorado had a flash of hope under Deion Sanders in 2024 with a 9-3 finish, only to fall right back to the bottom of the conference in 2025. That kind of fleeting success can’t be the goal for Auburn.
Not here. Not in the SEC.
This is a program that once expected to compete for conference titles, not just bowl invites. A program that used to make Jordan-Hare a place where national contenders came to sweat.
Auburn doesn’t need to be in the CFP next year - let’s be realistic - but it does need to show signs that the foundation is being rebuilt. That the culture is changing.
That the Tigers are clawing their way back to relevance.
That starts with Golesh.
He doesn’t need to deliver miracles in Year 1. But he does need to stop the bleeding.
A bowl game - not by default, but by merit - would be a start. A win over a ranked opponent?
Even better. A competitive showing in rivalry games?
Non-negotiable.
What’s at Stake
This isn’t just about 2026. It’s about whether Auburn becomes a program that looks back on past glories while settling for mediocrity - or one that uses this low point as a launchpad.
Because right now, Auburn isn’t part of the national conversation. It’s not even part of the SEC’s top-tier discussion. And when the playoff committee and national analysts start talking about strength of schedule, quality wins, and conference depth, Auburn’s name isn’t coming up - not even as a speed bump.
That can’t continue.
Alex Golesh has a chance to change that. To reestablish Auburn as a program that matters again. It won’t happen overnight, but the climb starts now.
No pressure. Just the future of the program.