Alex Golesh's not calling Auburn's Week 4 matchup with Vanderbilt a must-win could've been a disastrous thing to say. Especially right after the Tigers lost 44-39 to Florida in a contest that the final score makes seem more competitive than it was.
Some fans may have gotten Gus Malzahn 2020 "solid year" vibes from that statement.
Golesh explained that the culture dictates that the preparation remains the same in the early stages of this rebuild, regardless of the previous result.
"If you look at it as a must-win, what changes? Do we prepare harder? Do we practice longer? Do we practice differently? We're in a foundational part of our program, where the process piece of it is so critical to how we do every single little thing," Golesh said Monday.
Brilliant.
Since Golesh has taken responsibility for the defense's role in the Gators loss and the offense's underperformance against Baylor, you can't fault him for this answer. He has always admitted he and his coaching staff have to do better, so his players can reach their potential.
In the SEC, even reaching its full potential may not be enough for Auburn's roster to reach the CFP.
Golesh is building 7-5, or maybe even 8-4 habits, though. It's tough to see after giving up 495 yards of total offense to UF, but AU's 15 fourth-quarter points are a sign of the times.
They are a-changin' on the Plains.
It just may take a little bit more time. And no, that's not saying this thing is "close." Giving up 44 points at home under the lights is anything but "close" to where this program should be, given the amount of talent it has on the defensive side of the ball.
Vanderbilt comes into Week 4 riding an emotional high
If 5-star true freshman Commodores quarterback Jared Curtis needed the confidence of Vanderbilt's comeback win against NC State to start cooking, it may have been a smart hedge on Golesh's part to say this game isn't a must-win.
The Commodores offense has been a middle of the pack team in 2026. Blaze Berlowitz was struggling early on, though. The emotional high of promoting Curtis to QB1 sooner could've galvanized Vanderbilt's locker room.
Clark Lea finally made the expected call (at least around these parts), though. Certainly, it's not too late now that SEC play is about to begin for the Commodores, and they remain undefeated at 3-0.
Auburn fans already growing restless with Alex Golesh
Golesh stuck the landing with his statement, but anyone missing the full context could certainly run with the narrative that he's nefariously downplaying the Vanderbilt game's urgency.
Golesh has some doubters among folks who fully bought into Hugh Freeze in the year 2025. It's ludicrous, but that's the way the world turns.
The Tigers need this one for their fanbase's sanity. Starting the 2026 season off 2-2, ahead of a two-game early-to-mid-October road slate against Tennessee and Georgia, with the bye week in between, is downright frightening.
Auburn won't be built in a day, though. Golesh knows that, and is trying to build this brick by brick.
We'll see if that's enough for a fanbase dying for a sign of incoming success on the football field after five years of losing.
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