You’d think that being ranked in the first AP poll of the season following the first full weekend of games being played would satisfy the appetites of all Auburn football fans.
I’m going to need you to mosey on back to the drawing board, folks. Because it most certainly isn’t.
Tiger fans have long been accustomed to their team being one of the top-ranked schools in the AP 25, but now they must balance their #25 ranking with being the underdog label that has long been embraced by the orange and blue.
Check out the pessimistic members of the Auburn family about the Tigers’ ranking:
Rut Roh.
— Aubiece (@Aubiece) September 7, 2021
Was hoping to be unranked going to play the Nits in (Un) Happy Valley. https://t.co/7P3UtV3MpF pic.twitter.com/ZgnegFtqi5
need to stay unranked as long as possible. i dislike this
— bacon flaps (@bacon_flaps) September 7, 2021
Doesn't matter much unless you think we have a chance to be in the top 4. And that's how things have become and it's sad.
— Fred Jones (@bayfred) September 7, 2021
Of course, there is still a loud majority of fans elated to see Auburn football ranked already after just one non-conference game against a 1-5 opponent from a year ago:
Sooner than expected, but here we are https://t.co/f40pN2497H pic.twitter.com/c3Ai46Jjjz
— AU_Propaganda (@AuPropaganda) September 7, 2021
https://t.co/cgQ1Sp0m6G pic.twitter.com/wbH7AtzGLv
— College & Magnolia (@CollegeAndMag) September 7, 2021
— Eric Koch (@EricDKoch) September 7, 2021
Woo boy that penn state game is gonna be LIT
— Matt (@MattDidier5) September 7, 2021
With fewer games between ranked opponents in Week Two, expect less movement in the rankings. If AU moves at all this time next week, it will probably be up after a thrashing of Alabama State from the SWAC.
That said, the rankings won’t mean much until after the Penn State Week Three matchup in Happy Valley, and will truly be of the utmost importance in October when conference play kicks up.