There is a lot of optimism for the Auburn football team heading into head coach Alex Golesh's first season on the Plains.
Golesh has made a strong impression on the fans, embracing the Auburn culture and ingratiating himself in the traditions of the program. He has gotten off to a great start on the recruiting trail, and he has worked hard to unite a roster featuring a lot of newcomers.
Perhaps most importantly, Golesh brought quarterback Byrum Brown and many more of his former players from USF, hoping to answer the quarterback question that Auburn has struggled with for the past few seasons. The amount of continuity preserved on the offense paired with the talented defense has made many believe that this could be the year the Tigers begin to bounce back.
There is just one thing standing in the Tigers' way, according to Seth Emerson of The Athletic: the road schedule. Emerson predicts Auburn will go 7-4 in 2026 with losses at Tennessee, at Georgia, at Ole Miss and at Alabama with an additional loss to LSU at home.
"I’m bullish on Alex Golesh in his first year because he’s bringing his quarterback and much of the offense with him from South Florida and adding it to a ready-made SEC defense," Emerson writes. "The problem is that road schedule."
The Tigers have the unfortunate lot of playing Georgia and Alabama either at home or away in the same season each year, so they will face both teams on the road. Georgia came in at spot No. 3 in the AP Preseason Top 25 poll, and Alabama was at No. 13. Ole Miss is ranked No. 9 and Tennessee is No. 20. Each of the Tigers' potential away losses would be to ranked opponents, even if several of the teams have something to prove heading into the fall.
Even if Golesh and his staff believe they are on the right track heading into the fall, Golesh's concern about the Tigers' focus will come into play in a big way when the team is facing ranked opponents week after week. Fans can expect the offense to look improved from last season and for this team to have an actual identity, but it may be another year before it makes sense to hope for much more than reaching a bowl game.
Auburn football debuts on September 5 in Atlanta, Georgia, versus the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Central Time.
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