Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown just gave the team's haters plenty of ammunition if the program underperforms this fall. Even if his heart was in the right place when he made a statement about the team winning the CFP.
Per Brown, during an appearance with The College Sports Company, “This whole place, they care about football ... That is something that you truly want to be a part of. My teammates, they care about football, they were very excited once we got to work, bonding with them, connecting with them in the locker room, all them embracing us transfers. They were open arms, and like, ‘let’s go to work. Let’s win a Natty.’”
Auburn caring about football is not what'd be disputed. Defensive players who were on consecutive 5-7 teams over the past two seasons talking about winning a national championship with transfers, many of whom come from the Group of Six conferences, is going to age very poorly if the Tigers aren't serious in 2026.
This wasn't the first confident statement Brown has made in recent weeks. He also commented on the high number of USF Bulls transfers (11) making their way to the Plains. Per Brown, during an interview with On3's Chris Low, "We plan to show that we belong on this level and that we can compete with anybody, no matter what conference it is, the AAC or the SEC."
Confidence is high for the former USF QB. Having led the Bulls to a victory over the Florida Gators in the "Swamp" last September will do that for you. That UF team was one that went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, though.
The competition will be fiercer than most players on the roster have ever faced this coming fall. These strong words could look like a weak prediction sooner rather than later.
What else is Byrum Brown supposed to say?
It's not wrong to point out how poorly these words can age if Alex Golesh's program isn't up to snuff this season. It'd be wrong to say that Brown misspoke, though. What else is Brown supposed to say before the season?
It'd look worse if Brown preached patience in his final season of eligibility. Golesh is aiming to win games this fall and give hope to a fanbase that lacks it following five straight losing seasons. You have to talk about winning championships in the shark-infested SEC. What, was Brown going to admit that defeating all of the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide is a nearly impossible task?
Nick Marshall didn't back down in 2013. Cam Newton certainly didn't back down in 2010. By that same token, neither Jarrett Stidham nor Bo Nix backed down in 2017 and 2019, successful years in their own right. Brown is looking to follow in those footsteps. Confidence is the key to accomplishing that.
Brown is not backing down. That's step one in walking down that road. The next step is taking the locker room confidence, converting it into useful practice reps, and then riding that high every Saturday this fall.
Easier said than done, but you have to say it. You can't promise getting "close" ever again if you're involved with the Auburn football program.
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