The Auburn Tigers once again have a new look entering the 2026 campaign. Hugh Freeze is out and Alex Golesh is in after a successful 3-year run as the head coach at USF.
This is the Tigers’ third head coach since the start of the 2021 season (fifth if you include interim stints by Cadillac Williams and DJ Durkin), and fans are looking for success and stability in their proud program.
Golesh has brought over most of his offense from last year’s USF squad, including QB Byrum Brown. More on the offense in a bit. The defense has also received several boosts through the transfer portal.
Will that be enough to get Auburn over the hump? This is a team that hasn’t finished with more than 6 wins since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a team that hasn’t had a winning record since a 6-5 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
Is Golesh the guy? We’ll discuss that in just a second.
But first… welcome back to our Crystal Ball series. We predict every regular-season game for all 16 SEC schools. Here’s a look at who we’ve done so far:
Alabama ArkansasNow let’s look at the Auburn Tigers.
One Big Question: How will Alex Golesh’s USF offense transfer to the SEC?
Everywhere you look across the Auburn offense, there’s a former USF player who worked with Alex Golesh during the 2025 season (and some for 2-3 years).
Golesh’s offensive scheme isn’t in question. He honed it under Josh Heupel at Tennessee, serving as the Vols’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022. But there is a question as to whether or not all these transfers from USF can handle a full SEC slate, especially as the league moves to 9 conference matchups in 2026.
Here’s a look at the expected key contributors from USF who made their way to Auburn to help the offense:
QB Byrum Brown (3,158 pass yards, 28 TDs, 7 INTs, 1,008 rush yards, 14 rush TDs) WR Keshaun Singleton (50 catches, 877 yards, 8 TDs) WR Chas Nimrod (23 catches, 466 yards, 3 TDs) WR Jeremiah Koger (38 catches, 597 yards, 8 TDs) WR Christian Neptune (38 catches, 335 yards, 1 TD) WR Kory Pettigrew (3 catches, 28 yards) TE Jonathan Echols (9 catches, 109 yards, 3 TDs) OL Cole Best OL Cole SkinnerYeah… Golesh didn’t leave very much in the cupboard there in Tampa, did he? USF’s loss can be Auburn’s gain, though.
Those guys were a big part of USF’s 18-16 win in the Swamp over Florida last year, after all. If Brown puts up numbers like he did last year now that he’s at Auburn and playing 9 SEC games, he’ll be a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender.
But a 9-game SEC schedule is grueling. We’ll see how those guys fare after a step up in competition.
Auburn’s Projected Wins Total
Here’s what Kalshi has to say about Auburn’s projected wins in 2026:
Auburn to win 7 or more games: 57% Auburn to win 6 or fewer games: 46%Reminder to click here and sign up for Kalshi using promo code SDS to score a $25 bonus when you make $25 in trades. Check out where Kalshi is legal.
Prediction Markets How many regular-season games will Auburn win? Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi 5+ wins 77% 6+ wins 68% 7+ wins 57% 8+ wins 40% 9+ wins 23% PredictGame-by-Game Predictions
Here’s how I see the 2026 season going for the Auburn Tigers:
Week 1: vs. Baylor (in Atlanta) (W)
The more I look at this game, the more I think it should be a decisive win for Golesh in his debut. Anything less should be considered a troubling sign. Baylor coach Dave Aranda is on one of the hottest seats in the sport. Auburn has momentum after hiring a new coach and making a splash in the transfer portal. Add in the short trip to Atlanta and this should be a great start to the Alex Golesh era.
Week 2: vs. Southern Miss (W)
A team trying to rebuild can’t afford to overlook any level of opponent. But fortunately for the Tigers, Southern Miss is all the way down at No. 87 in ESPN’s Football Power Index. That’s good for a Sun Belt team, as the Golden Eagles only trail James Madison and Old Dominion in the Sun Belt, but No. 22 Auburn shouldn’t have any issues in this one.
Week 3: vs. Florida (L)
This is a huge matchup for both squads, as it’s the first SEC game for both Jon Sumrall of the Florida Gators and for Alex Golesh. However, this isn’t the same Florida team that Golesh’s USF team beat in the Swamp last year. Sumrall leads his squad on the road and pulls off a narrow upset.
Week 4: vs. Vanderbilt (W)
Catching Vanderbilt early in the season is a good thing for the Tigers. The Commodores are entering life without Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia running the offense. It’ll take time for freshman QB Jared Curtis to find his groove. Auburn wins comfortably in Jordan-Hare.
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Week 5: at Tennessee (L)
Golesh gets a chance to pay a visit to his former boss on Rocky Top. If this game was on The Plains, I’d pick Auburn to pull off the upset. But in Knoxville, DeSean Bishop and the Vols’ running game grinds out a gritty win.
Week 6: OFF
Auburn has a fairly early open date, but that is a blessing ahead of this next brutal stretch of games.
Week 7: at Georgia (L)
Auburn has a case for having the toughest schedule in the nation on a yearly basis, and that case is even stronger in even years. Those are the years where the Tigers have to travel to both Georgia and Alabama. Yikes. Auburn could potentially give Georgia a game in the confines of Jordan-Hare. At Sanford? Not so much. Kirby Smart and company roll in this one.
Week 8: vs. LSU (L)
Not to spoil my forthcoming LSU piece, but I’m high on Lane Kiffin and the Tigers this year. LSU should have a top 2 or 3 offense in the SEC under Kiffin and OC Charlie Weis Jr., and Blake Baker’s defense has the potential be a top-5 unit in the conference. That’s a tough matchup for Auburn, even at home.
Week 9: at Ole Miss (L)
Auburn’s road schedule is unfathomably hard this year. At Tennessee, at Georgia, at Ole Miss, at Mississippi State, at Alabama. The first 9-game SEC slate has Auburn hitting the road 5 times and facing 3 teams that made the Playoff last year and a Tennessee team that is always tough under Heupel. Pete Golding leads the Rebels to a big win in front of the Oxford crowd.
Week 10: vs. Arkansas (W)
The Tigers, licking their wounds after that ridiculous 4-game slate, get back in the win column against Ryan Silverfield (another first-year SEC head coach) and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Byrum Brown and his receivers have a big day against a Razorback secondary that’s full of holes.
Week 11: at Mississippi State (W)
Mississippi State has continuity with head coach Jeff Lebby, but Golesh has more talent on his roster. Auburn takes its show on the road and picks up SEC victory No. 3 with a last-second touchdown to silence the cowbells.
Week 12: vs. Samford (W)
Even if Auburn gets caught looking ahead to the Iron Bowl, it won’t lose to Samford at home. The Tigers clinch bowl eligibility in the penultimate week of the regular season.
Week 13: at Alabama (L)
It’s just not happening for the Tigers in Tuscaloosa. In the last handful of Iron Bowl matchups at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Auburn has lost by 14, 22, 29, 31 and 18 points, dating back to 2016. Maybe Golesh can keep the final score respectable, but Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide should comfortably defend their home turf.
2026 Projection: 6-6 (3-6)
New coach, same results? Not exactly. This won’t be what Auburn faithful were hoping for, but the most important thing Golesh needs to do this year is to prove he can make Auburn’s offense more fun. After Freeze all but wasted 2 years of the electric Cam Coleman, Golesh needs to show he can turn QBs into NFL Draft prospects. I expect him to do that with Brown this year, which will lead to continued success in the transfer portal and better results in the future.
12-Team Playoff Berth? No
Even in the SEC, you don’t make the Playoff with a 6-6 record. The goal for Golesh will be to actually win a bowl game to get to 7 wins. Seeing a final record of 7-6 instead of 6-7 or 5-7 will be very important for Year 1. Then, in Year 2, the real work begins.
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