Paul Finebaum is worried about the Auburn Tigers' 2026 season if Alex Golesh is unable to win his debut game against the Baylor Bears in Week 1. That game, regrettably, will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, robbing AU of a true home-field advantage.
Orange and blue will be the predominant colors that day, and as of right now, the Tigers are favored to win big. But Finebaum sees a loss getting the ball rolling in the wrong direction ahead of conference matchups with the Florida Gators, Tennessee Volunteers, and Georgia Bulldogs, the latter two of which are in enemy territory.
“Beat Baylor. That was a game that Hugh Freeze won last year, it didn’t do him any good,” Finebaum said. “But don’t try losing that game with Florida coming to town in two weeks and then going to see Tennessee and Georgia back-to-back on the road.”
While Florida and Tennessee will have young quarterbacks that could be positive mismatches for Auburn, the sentiment from Finebaum is completely understandable. There would be little hope the rest of the way if the Tigers didn't beat the Bears. Dave Aranda hasn't inspired confidence in Waco in half a decade. His defensive philosophies haven't led to a stout effort from Baylor. In 2025, the Bears were ranked No. 122 in the country, ceding 32.6 points per game.
If Auburn somehow loses to Baylor, especially if the Bears' defense looks markedly improved, many will wonder if we're stuck in a loop where no offensive mind could do anything to make the Tigers' offense explosive.
Week 1 will not be much of a needle-mover for Auburn's momentum either way
Barring a historical effort from Auburn's offense on September 5, there will not be as much narrative momentum for Golesh and Co. as you'd expect coming off a program debut. Hugh Freeze's Power 4 conference-opening win against the Cal Golden Bears in 2023 ended up being a ruse. Not much good came after it. Cal got its lick back in 2024 on Pat Dye Field. Many will have the same doubts if the Tigers defeat Baylor in anything short of a dominant showing.
The first time AU could really have fans excited is September 19. While the world will have its eyes on Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford, Mississippi, leading the LSU Tigers against his former team, the Ole Miss Rebels, those in Lee County, Alabama, will be facing the coach whom John Cohen and Co. coveted but ultimately couldn't land, Jon Sumrall, in a bellwether matchup. Golesh could prove he owns the Gators with a second-straight victory after upsetting Florida with the USF Bulls last September. He could also prove his team could protect Jordan-Hare Stadium, warning the rest of the conference in Golesh's SEC opener.
Finebaum is right. Losing to the Bears would be an abomination that'd take the sting out of the rest of the season before the start of SEC play. He didn't explicitly say that, but that's this writer's takeaway from the thought of losing to Baylor.
Even if Auburn wins in Week 1, as expected, the anxiety will be persistent until UF comes to town to reignite what was once a historical rivalry in Week 3.
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