Auburn fought valiantly but lost 44-39 to Florida in Alex Golesh's SEC debut as a head coach. There was a lot to like and dislike, but the rest of the Tigers' SEC slate also provided valuable data on the 2026 season.
Week 3 featured some expected results, but one major upset (and one semi-major upset) in the conference.
What that says about Auburn's upcoming SEC gauntlet is scary.
Ole Miss, LSU, and Georgia all look like contenders
Though Lane Kiffin couldn't get one over on his old team, LSU still looked like a legitimate contender during a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford. The Bayou Bengals fought back from being down 24-7 to make something of the massive rivalry matchup on the road.
LSU dominated the head-to-head running battle, but Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss showed how difficult the Rebels will be for Auburn on Halloween night. Chambliss had 363 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a game-winning 14-yard touchdown run on the final score of the night.
Out in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Georgia hosed the Hogs. The Dawgs' 178 total points scored through their matchups with Arkansas, Western Kentucky, and Tennessee State are the third-most points scored by an SEC school through three games ever. UGA hasn't played a true contender yet, but the Dawgs are thoroughly dominating the teams in front of them.
These three present the biggest challenges AU faces this fall by far.
Mississippi State and Vanderbilt prove they will be tough outs
The Razorbacks may be the only true "gimme" on the Tigers' schedule left this season besides Samford. Certainly, you can't include Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in that group.
The Bulldogs came back down 16 against South Carolina, while the Commodores came back down 17 points against NC State in one of the silliest endings the sport may see all year.
Both of these teams previously looked like resume-builders. Auburn's defensive effort against UF probably means that thinking is premature.
Alabama looks beatable, though Tennessee will be tough
Alabama may be the most beatable program in the bunch besides Arkansas. The Crimson Tide ceded 377 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, plus two rushing touchdowns in the red zone to Ashton Daniels in a 50-36 win over Florida State. Between previous protection issues in Week 1 and blown coverage against Daniels and Mike Norvell's play-calling, Alabama has serious issues that could be exploited in an emotional Iron Bowl season finale.
Tennessee rolled again in Week 3, knocking off Kennesaw State 42-9 in a dominant win on Rocky Top. After dispatching Georgia Tech 45-24 last week, Auburn's first road test and Golesh's homecoming to the first SEC school he worked for look like an uphill climb.
2026 doesn't look any easier after Week 3. Probably the opposite. There's plenty to build on internally, but Auburn's external threats in the SEC will be menacing over the next few months.
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