CBS Sports had no shortage of choices after a wild Week 7, with the SEC’s top three ranked teams - No. 1 Georgia, No.
6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas - all falling.
But when Matt Zenitz settled on the conference’s Coach of the Week, the nod went to the man who delivered the biggest shock of the weekend.
After Auburn’s 27-24 win in The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, Alex Golesh was named CBS Sports’ SEC Coach of the Week for Week 7.
That victory on the road at Georgia did more than just add another line to Auburn’s schedule. The Tigers snapped Georgia’s 53-game winning streak against unranked opponents and also ended the Bulldogs’ nine-game run of wins over Auburn.
Golesh is in his first season on The Plains after spending three years at South Florida, and Auburn is sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play halfway through his debut campaign. ESPN’s Football Power Index pegs the Tigers with a 96.2% chance to get to six wins, a mark the program has not reached since 2023.
There’s still a bigger number within reach if Auburn keeps climbing. A seventh victory would give the Tigers their highest win total since Gus Malzahn’s 9-4 team in 2019.
For now, though, the CFP picture remains a long shot. Auburn’s chances of making the College Football Playoff sit at 7.0% according to FPI, with road games against Ole Miss and Alabama still looming. Next up, the Tigers return home to face LSU at noon ET on Saturday in Week 8 on ABC.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Catches A Huge Break In High Stakes Texas Showdown
Ole Miss got a significant early boost for its trip to Texas, with the Longhorns expected to be without standout defensive end Colin Simmons after he suffered a high ankle sprain against Florida. Simmons was ruled out for the rest of that game, and his status now figures to be evaluated week to week, a notable development for a matchup that already had plenty riding on it.
Simmons has been one of the most disruptive defenders in the country and leads the nation in sacks, so his absence changes the look of a Texas front that typically leans on him to set the tone. For Ole Miss, it removes one of the toughest individual problems on the schedule and adds another layer of intrigue to a game that was already shaping up as a high-stakes test. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Looks Ready For Much Bigger Games After Statement Win
Ole Miss spent Saturday looking every bit like a team built for the bigger stage, taking control early and never really letting Missouri get comfortable in a 31-3 win. The Rebels defense set the tone throughout the afternoon, keeping the Tigers away from their preferred answers and making the kind of steady, disciplined stops that can travel well when the schedule tightens up.
Pete Goldings group now heads into the heart of SEC play with some real momentum behind it, and his record against ranked opponents sits at 6-1 after another statement performance. The challenge for Ole Miss is obvious enough: this level of defensive sharpness has to hold when the opposition gets tougher, because the next stretch will say a lot about whether this was simply a strong showing or a preview of what the Rebels can sustain. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Sends Ole Miss Fans A Warning About Arch Manning
Pete Golding spent part of the buildup to Ole Miss meeting with Texas pushing back on the easy take about Arch Manning. The Rebels defensive coordinator said the notion that Manning is not an elite player is crazy, a notable stance given the turnovers that have shadowed the quarterbacks season. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has already confirmed Manning will stay in the lineup against Ole Miss, which keeps the focus on how the Rebels plan to handle a passer Golding clearly still views as a major challenge.
Golding pointed to more than just the stat sheet, crediting Mannings athletic ability and past success while suggesting some of the struggles have been a matter of bad luck. For Ole Miss, that kind of warning matters because it comes from inside the opposing scouting report, not from a fan debate or a headline. If Manning settles in, the Rebels know they could be facing a quarterback Golding believes is far better than the public conversation has suggested. [Read more 🡒]