The 2026 college football season is right around the corner, and this is an especially important one for the Auburn Tigers. It's the first season under a new head coach, and setting a positive tone for the Alex Golesh era is going to be vital for turning this program around.
As is typical in the SEC, Auburn's slate is not an easy one, but they still have a chance to make some noise in 2026.
Let's take a look at how the Tigers' opponents stack up this season...
No. 12: Samford Bulldogs
Samford is the obligatory FCS matchup this year. These games are never the most exciting or competitive, but they're good for the smaller programs and the sport overall. This should be the kind of blowout that tempts even the biggest of Auburn fans to check out other offerings. (Games that day include LSU @ Tennessee, Texas A&M @ Oklahoma, and Georgia @ South Carolina.)
No. 11: Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Southern Miss is not an FCS opponent, but if this game is competitive, it is cause for major concern. Auburn will host the Golden Eagles in Week 2, sandwiched between matchups with Baylor and Florida. This is an early chance for Alex Golesh to show just how much he can keep this team focused through the emotional ups and downs in a season. (This team may not be good enough to punish Auburn, so we may not actually learn anything at all here.)
No. 10: Baylor Bears
An immensely frustrating aspect of this game is the fact that it will not be played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but instead at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It's a short trip from the Plains to the ATL, so this will still be a primarily Auburn crowd, but it won't match the juice of JHS.
DJ Lagway is at quarterback for the Bears going into the season, and while that's an improvement in Waco, he's still a passer Auburn can feel confident in defending. A season ago, Lagway and the Florida offense only mustered 16 points at home against USF. This will be a familiar opening week matchup for many involved parties, and that familiarity favors the Tigers.
No. 9: Mississippi State Bulldogs
The SEC schedule is a gauntlet, but that doesn't mean there aren't some weaker teams in the conference. Mississippi State is a great example of that. CBS has this team ranked 51st in their ranking of all 138 teams, and for good reason. The Bulldogs finished 5-8 a year ago, and they continue to be one of the weakest recruiting teams in the SEC. It's tough to imagine Jeff Lebby's team making a significant step forward in 2026.
No. 8: Arkansas Razorbacks
Ryan Silverfield takes over an Arkansas program that has thrown everything against the wall in an effort to win. Last year, the Razorbacks lost ten straight games to finish the season, their only wins coming against Alabama A&M and Arkansas State. At Memphis, Silverfield went just 8-4 last season, including a .500 mark in the AAC.
This is the last of the teams that Auburn should absolutely expect to beat. There are still lots of beatable teams to follow, but from here on out, there are no cake walks.
No. 7: Vanderbilt Commodores
Diego Pavia is gone, hallelujah. For some reason, that little guy was a bona fide Tiger killer, both at New Mexico State and as a Commodore. Head coach Clark Lea has not named a new starter yet, but all the hype has gone to highly touted 5-star freshman Jared Curtis. He has a huge ceiling, but getting the young guy in September is a big advantage for Auburn. Still new to the SEC, Curtis will likely have a difficult time with DJ Durkin's defense.
No. 6: Florida Gators
Golesh, Byrum Brown, and the rest of Auburn's former-USF contingent went to Gainesville a year ago and beat the Gators 18-16 early in the season. They now have a chance to do so again, but this time with the AU on their helmets. New Gator head coach Jon Sumrall will bring new energy to this program, but this game is a winnable one for the Tigers.
No. 5: Alabama Crimson Tide
The biggest offseason question for Alabama this year is at the quarterback position. Whether Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, this will be another really good Crimson Tide football team. DeBoer teams have been undisciplined and shaky, but it still feels odd to put this program this low in these rankings.
This game is in Bryant-Denny, so how winnable is it for the Tigers? Not very. The difference in location is a massive factor in how this rivalry plays out. The most common record prediction from the media for Auburn is 7-5, and this is where those five expected losses begin.
No. 4: Tennessee Volunteers
Last season, the Volunteers had their way with Georgia's defense, jumping in front with a 21-point first quarter and finishing with 41, the most anyone scored against the Bulldogs all year. Facing a Josh Heupel offense means a likely shootout, so this will be a huge test for both sides of the ball. Can Durkin's defense slow down this attack? Can Golesh and Brown put up points in bunches in the SEC? This game will be played in Jordan-Hare in early October, so it will be a great litmus test of just how high the ceiling is for this Auburn team.
No. 3: LSU Tigers
LSU is a giant question mark. Much like Auburn, a large portion of the offense will consist of transfers, so the Bayou Bengals feel like they have major boom-or-bust potential. This ranking is a bet on the boom side, largely based on Lane Kiffin's offensive track record, especially as a quarterback coach. We saw what he did with Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him do the same with Sam Leavitt.
No. 2: Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss sits higher in the rankings than LSU because it's a proven commodity. Perhaps Sam Leavitt will find success in Baton Rouge, but we know Chambliss is in the right spot in Oxford. The Rebels will be in their first full season with Pete Golding at the helm, and while many are expecting a bit of a slide, reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated. This will still be a really good football team.
No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs
There was not much debate about who to put at the top spot here. Georgia is one of the best teams in the country, and they have had Auburn's number for a long time now. Kirby Smart's Bulldogs will be the same Bulldogs that we are used to seeing, with a strong defense, an imposing offensive line, and a quarterback who doesn't make a lot of mistakes (Gunner Stockton only threw five interceptions a year ago).
If Texas were on the slate this year, the Bulldogs would still be No. 1 here. Until Auburn turns things around in this rivalry, Georgia is always going to be the tallest mountain on the schedule that the Tigers have to climb.
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