The Auburn Tigers finished their third 5-7 season in the last four years, and finished with seven losses for the fifth straight year in 2025. They could've been bowl-eligible, but turned down the chance to play in the Birmingham Bowl and risk going 5-8.
Across the Yellowhammer State, the Alabama Crimson Tide finished 10-3 with an embarrassing 21-point loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game but failed upwards into the College Football Playoff's 12-team field at the No. 9 seed. Alabama still has a chance to win it all, but it has just as good a chance at taking a third straight loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday during the CFP's first round.
What does 2026 look like for the Iron Bowl rivals, given 2025 probably won't go as planned for either team? The Yellowhammer News' Michael Brauner predicts potential turbulence again with how their SEC slates shook out.
"The Crimson Tide starts off relatively light with five games against East Carolina (home), Kentucky (away), Florida State (home), South Carolina (home) and Mississippi State (away). After that, it gets laughably difficult," Brauner prefaced before saying, "Starting on October 10, Alabama starts a five game gauntlet which has Georgia, a road trip to Knoxville and a return home to face Texas A&M before a bye week. After the bye, they will have to travel to both LSU and Vanderbilt before cupcake week against Chattanooga — all ahead of the Iron Bowl.
"As for the Tigers, they will start the season with two home games against Southern Miss and Florida before a five-game onslaught of their own begins. First up will be Vanderbilt at home, coming off an equally difficult game against the Gators. Then a trip to Knoxville to face Tennessee. From there, Auburn will have a bye week before hitting the road again to face Georgia, returning home for LSU and traveling to Ole Miss before things lighten up down the stretch.
"A nine game conference schedule in the best league in college football was always going to be extremely difficult, but Alabama and Auburn are facing the kind of run they perhaps have never seen before. Only time will tell how they handle it."
Alex Golesh may have more solid footing than Kalen DeBoer
Funnily enough, it's the program with a Power 4 head coaching novice in charge that has a more solid foundation heading into the 2026 season.
Alex Golesh acquiesced just enough at AU upon being hired to build the program under his guise, but appeasing the booster class that liked DJ Durkin's work. Durkin was retained as defensive coordinator, one of the biggest unsung developments in College Football this offseason.
Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer may or may not be the guy in the seat in his unpopular modern office at Bryant-Denny Stadium. While he stiff-armed the Michigan Wolverines and Penn State Nittany Lions rumors, the NFL, and eventually, other College Football jobs, will come calling. DeBoer says he likes living in Tuscaloosa, but logically, how? He is public enemy No. 1 for his underperformance through two years in the boiler room, and he's actively lowering the "Bama Standard." Not to mention, "East Mississippi" is no Seattle.
It's been a long time coming, but 2026 may finally be the year the SEC totem pole in the Yellowhammer State flips to favor the good guys.