The Auburn football team is preparing to kick off year one under Alex Golesh against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta on Sept. 5. The Tigers are going into the game as the favorite at -7, but Saturday Down South's Spenser Davis isn't impressed by the doubt being leveled at Auburn.
"Look, I think it’s fine to be skeptical of what Auburn will be this season in SEC play," Davis writes. "Byrum Brown is dynamic, but he’s unproven at this level — as is much of the roster which also spent last season at South Florida with Brown and Alex Golesh."
Granted, there are a lot of question marks for Auburn entering the 2026 season. Will Byrum Brown be able to replicate his outstanding stats from last season? Can the former USF players kick it in the SEC? Will the offensive line be good enough this year?
However, Baylor is not at the top of the college football rankings by any means, and Davis believes that Golesh, Brown, and the Tigers should receive a little more credit ahead of the first matchup of the season.
"But Baylor is not close to an SEC-caliber team," Davis said. "The Bears’ defense is expected to be dreadful —they're 87th in SP+ preseason rankings. The offense is heavily dependent on a bounce-back season for DJ Lagway. Even if Lagway is better this season, I’m not sure Baylor’s offense will have a prolific day against an Auburn defense that returns plenty of continuity from 2025."Â
Is Auburn football worth the hype against Baylor?
Baylor is a Big 12 opponent from Texas with a lot of money behind them, and there's no doubt that the Bears should not be overlooked. But, as Davis noted earlier, the Bears' are not expected to do well on defense, which will make things easier for the the Tigers' offensive line and for the offense on their first outing.
Davis also pointed out that Auburn's defense is returning plenty of its key pieces from last season, a year when the Tigers were known for their strong defense, as well as two of the defensive coaches. While the Auburn offense is hungry to prove itself, the defense will be back to handling business, which could prove to be a problem for the Bears.
Despite the question marks, Auburn football should be able to begin its season on a high note with a victory over the Baylor Bears.
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