Auburn finally got the weight off its shoulders in Week 4. Until next week, anyway.
The Tigers held on to defeat Vanderbilt 21-15 for Alex Golesh's first SEC win and the first conference win for the program at Jordan-Hare Stadium since November 2024.
Of course, Week 4 told us a lot about the rest of the 2026 schedule as well.
Here are five things in particular we learned about Auburn's remaining slate after another great Saturday in college football.
Auburn's loss to Florida doesn't look that bad
Let's start by looking back. Last week, the Tigers took a 44-39 loss to Florida that has actually aged pretty well.
This week, the Gators decimated Ole Miss 52-28 in the "Swamp." While the Rebels were coming off the emotions of defeating LSU in Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford, those fumes ran out in North Central Florida.
UF looks like it has staying power. Losing to them is a forgivable sin on AU's part.
Tennessee will be a major challenge on Rocky Top next weekend
The Vols showed up in a big way on Rocky Top against the Longhorns on Saturday afternoon, with President Donald Trump in attendance.
While Tennessee couldn't beat No. 1 Texas, the Vols' 20-17 loss is a sign that they're not far off from the upper echelon of the SEC. Getting to the backfield and sacking Arch Manning six times was the most head-turning thing that Tennessee did all afternoon.
Week 5 will be a certifiable challenge for Golesh in his return to Knoxville, where he was once Josh Heupel's offensive coordinator. In particular, his fluid offensive line will be challenged in a loud and hostile environment.
Auburn picked the wrong years to play Oklahoma and Texas A&M
Last year, Auburn played two CFP teams when they traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, and College Station, Texas, to take on the Sooners and Aggies. This year, OU and Texas A&M would hardly be the same challenge.
The Sooners and Aggies lost big to Georgia and LSU, respectively. While the Dawgs and Bayou Bengals are stiff challenges, it's clear that Oklahoma's and Texas A&M's offenses are weak, and the defenses aren't the same challenge as last year's teams.
AU picked the wrong years to play these two.
Georgia and Alabama will be as tough as advertised
UGA looks like a certifiable buzzsaw and probably the best team in the conference in the early going after finally beating a worthwhile program. The Dawgs downed the Sooners 41-13 Between the Hedges.
It's fair to say Alabama also looks like one of the most serious players in the conference after destroying South Carolina 49-18 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The two blood rivals are formidable. Facing them on the road makes them even more daunting as challenges.
7-5 isn't an impossible ask of Alex Golesh
With all that said, 7-5 isn't out of reach this year, even if most of the Auburn family probably thinks it is.
The Tigers need to go 4-4 the rest of the way. You could count Samford as a win. Arkansas looked dominant against Tulsa, but Auburn should still be considered a favorite when the two do battle at JHS in early November.
The rest is a crapshoot. Between Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UGA, and Alabama, two wins are needed.
Is that really impossible? From this vantage point, absolutely not.
It will just take a strong coaching performance. Golesh has the chance to prove he's worth it after getting over the Vandy hump in Week 4.
All in all, Week 4 provided plenty of hope for the Tigers. It's just one week at a time from here on out.
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