Auburn is one of those rare football programs where high expectations are almost a curse. When the Tigers are picked to make a national championship or SEC title run, it rarely comes through on the field.
Well, Auburn fans, you don’t have to worry about that this season after Alex Golesh’s first team was picked to finish 12th in the SEC by the media at SEC media days this week.
But if that’s not a downer enough, it isn’t outrageous, nor is it a sign of what Golesh and his staff might accomplish during their time on the Plains. No, it is simply a marker of where the Auburn program is in the conference’s hierarchy going into the 2026 season. Five straight losing seasons will do that to a program’s reputation, as well as the fact that the Tigers are now on their fourth coach since the start of this decade.Â
While rival programs such as Georgia, Alabama and LSU have stayed at or near the top of the predictions over the years, the Tigers have continued their free fall into also-rans: a place where a bowl game (and a win in that game) would be seen as a step forward, not back.Â
Is Auburn at its best when nothing is expected?
Bryan Harsin started the downward trend of the program. Hugh Freeze tried to build it back up, but ultimately failed. Now it’s Golesh’s turn, and despite all the mentality talk and quotes about how the program is now different, it’s going to take some time for the Tigers to get that stain off of its armor for respect to come.
Of course, it could come in an instant. In 2013, Auburn was picked to finish fifth in the SEC West heading into Gus Malzahn’s first year. It was an offensive guru’s first job at a Power 4 school (sound familiar?) after winning at a mid-major (also sound familiar?) due to an explosive offense that not even the greatest could stop. We all know what happened that season.
Not to say that Golesh can replicate what Malzahn did, but then again, the expectations were still high for the Auburn program when he took over in 2013, just three years after a national championship. Now, the expectations are at an all-time low, and for Golesh and company, that’s not a bad thing.Â
Showing fight is one thing. Auburn’s defense did that last season. But now, any progress by the Tigers’ offense will be seen as a bright light after watching what has happened the past four seasons.
So, the Tigers were picked 12th. Whoop dee doo. None of that matters when the ball is snapped in September. The media can predict who might win, but it’s the players that decide the ultimate outcome.
Does Golesh have some first-year magic in him? The media doesn’t think so, but don’t be surprised if they are wrong.Â
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