SEC football is back, and Auburn steps into Week 1 with plenty of attention on the Tigers as they open the Alex Golesh era against Baylor in Atlanta.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt added his own blunt take on Auburn’s place in the conference landscape, comparing the Tigers to Texas A&M and labeling both programs “popcorn programs.”
“Auburn reminds me a lot of Texas A&M in that there’s not a ton of consistency, but the expectations are always that they’re going to be great,” Klatt said. “A&M fans have an over-inflated view of what they are, and I would just say the same is true for Auburn… They have not shown the consistency of other quality programs.
They’re a popcorn program just like A&M. They’re an average program that pops up every once in a while.”
The comparison lands hard, but Auburn’s recent history gives it some bite. The Tigers have spent the past 25 seasons bouncing between big highs and long stretches of uneven play, a roller-coaster run that has made consistency the defining issue.
That instability has shown up again in the first half of the 2020s. Golesh is the fourth head coach to take over the program in the last seven seasons, and he arrives with the task of steadying a team that has yet to find a reliable rhythm. He could be the one to change that trajectory, but for now Klatt’s point reflects the reality Auburn is trying to outrun.
In Other News...
Joel Klatt Just Handed Auburn Fans A New Reason To Erupt
Joel Klatts latest take on the SEC offered Auburn fans a familiar mix of validation and frustration. In comparing Auburn and Texas A&M, he called both popcorn programs, a label meant to capture teams that can look ordinary for stretches before popping up with a big season. For Auburn, that lands differently because the programs resume still includes national championships, along with periods when the right coach has pushed the Tigers back into the national conversation.
The comparison also draws a sharper line between Auburn and Texas A&M since 2000, when the Aggies have been more uneven and Auburn has had more obvious peaks, even if neither program has lived in the elite tier year after year. What makes the discussion especially interesting for Auburn now is the sense that Alex Golesh is being received as a much better fit than some of the recent hires, giving the fan base a reason to believe the next upswing might be more than a fluke. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Just Got Another Reminder How Many Tigers Are Still In Play
With NFL teams trimming down to their 53-man rosters for the 2026 season, the next wave of moves has already begun, and a familiar Auburn name is among the players landing on practice squads. Eugene Asante has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, joining the pool of players who are still very much in the mix as teams keep reshaping the bottom of their rosters in the days after cutdowns.
For Auburn fans, it is another reminder that the Tigers remain well represented across the league even after roster deadlines pass. Practice squad spots can hold up to 16 players, but they are hardly dead-end jobs, since those players can be signed away by other teams and must be added to a main roster before they can appear in games. Nick Mullens is among the other recent additions around the NFL, and the churn suggests there may be more Auburn connections to track before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns First Baylor Depth Chart Leaves Some Jobs Far From Settled
Auburns first depth chart for the season opener against Baylor is out, and it gives the clearest early look yet at how the Tigers are lining up across offense, defense and special teams. The release lays out starters and backups at every spot, offering the first official snapshot of where the staff sees the roster after camp and where players have positioned themselves heading into game week.
Still, a depth chart in late August is more roadmap than final verdict, and plenty can change before kickoff. The list includes player names and jersey numbers throughout the lineup, but the bigger takeaway for Auburn is how many jobs are still open to be sorted out once the Tigers start playing live football against Baylor. [Read more 🡒]