2026 Auburn Football Game-by-Game Predictions

The Alex Golesh era is here and the Auburn Tigers take the field in a few short weeks. If you want to know what will likely happen this season before it kicks off, look no further. This will be a game by game prediction of what I truly believe will happen this season, from both Auburn and their opponents’ perspectives. If you disagree with any of this, let’s embrace debate and let me know how you feel. Happy football season, everyone!


Game 1: Baylor (Atlanta)

Starting off the year in Atlanta is not something Auburn is unfamiliar with, having done so in 2012 and 2018 against Clemson and Washington, respectfully.

DJ Lagway presents an intriguing challenge for Auburn’s defense, but I’m not so sure the former 5 star is going to be drastically different than he was at Florida. He’s got the talent, but does Baylor have the weapons around him to fully unlock his potential? Their best running back from last year is now in an Auburn uniform.

Ultimately this offense will take some time to fully gel, but they should have enough playmakers to outscore the Bears. Last year, Jackson Arnold’s legs were the difference. This year, another athletic QB is in town and he still has Jeremiah Cobb alongside him in the backfield. Auburn controls the majority of this game, and a 4th quarter Cobb score puts it on ice.

Prediction: Auburn wins 33-17
Record: 1-0


Game 2: Southern Miss

Not much to say in this one. Auburn should be focused on not allowing this to be a let down performance. The talent difference won’t be an issue, just focus on staying healthy for the Florida game. Auburn rolls in the home opener and turns the Golden Eagles over 3 times.

Prediction: Auburn wins 48-10
Record: 2-0


Game 3: Florida

This one is going to be fun. This is the first SEC game and will be a night game inside Jordan-Hare.

Jon Sumrall and Auburn were tied to each other early and often in the coaching cycle, and reportedly were in talks late into the season before Florida came in and put pen to paper.

The Gators should be much improved, with new OC Buster Faulkner and QB Aaron Philo as well as revamped weapons such as former Tiger Eric Singleton.

Sumrall’s teams usually play very physical and don’t make a ton of mistakes. That certainly plays on the road. DJ Durkin will be put to the test this week. Faulkner is highly respected and his offenses have been highly productive the last couple years at Georgia Tech.

Golesh, Byrum Brown, and the USF boys went into the Swamp last year and pulled off the upset…albeit against a very different Florida football team.

The Tigers will need to execute cleanly and take care of the ball in order to come away with a victory here. Like the last few AU-UF games played in Auburn, this one is sure to come down to the wire on a wild Saturday night on the plains. Auburn makes enough plays to escape with a win, marking a 3-0 start with a very interesting game on deck…

Prediction: Auburn wins 27-24
Record: 3-0


Game 4: Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has earned a lot more respect over the past few years than they have historically demanded, combining more talented players with elite coaching and a total team buy-in that is very inspiring. They have been a thorn in Auburn’s side the past 2 seasons, winning a slog in 2024 as well as last year’s overtime battle in Nashville. The Commodores will have a new QB, with the possibility that new trigger man is incoming 5 star freshman Jared Curtis. Running back Sedrick Alexander is back and will likely be a focal point of their offense.

If the prior predictions hold true, Auburn will be heading into the week 4 game at home on a bit of a run and with some burst of momentum. That could quickly evaporate, but if this team has the talent to knock off Florida, talent shouldn’t be an issue against this version of Vanderbilt. After firing Hugh Freeze last year, the Tigers went up to Nashville and played really well on offense but couldn’t keep the ‘Dores out of the end zone. DJ Durkin will likely be more successful this time around facing an inexperienced QB and having the crowd of Jordan-Hare behind him.

Tim Beck will have this offense ready, and Clark Lea’s teams always play with a level of physicality and togetherness that is hard to replicate. Ultimately, Auburn’s improved coaching staff and early season momentum carry over into this matchup, with Auburn winning a tight one due to a solid air attack that sees Chaz Nimrod score two touchdowns.

Prediction: Auburn wins 31-20
Record: 4-0


Game 5: at Tennessee

This feels like Auburn’s first reality check.

Winning in Knoxville is routinely one of the toughest assignments in the country. Alex Golesh will be returning to take on his former boss Josh Heupel.

The most glaring similarity in this game will be the style of offenses, as both teams will be running a version of the ‘wide choice’ offense.

Tennessee will have a new starting QB, either incoming 5-star Faizon Brandon or young George MacIntyre. They return DeSean Bishop and a talented group of receivers. Their pass rush got a little worse after Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman decided to leave the team due to personal reasons.

This one will be a tough task for the Tigers to pull off. Auburn fights hard, but takes their first blemish of the season as the Vols hold them off and win a game dictated by Bishop on the ground.

Prediction: Tennessee wins 28-20.
Record: 4-1


Game 6: at Georgia

Georgia is still Georgia.

Coming off the heartbreak of last year’s game where Auburn was an officiating review away from taking a 17-0 lead into halftime, Auburn stares a long losing streak in Athens right in the eyes. The Tigers haven’t won in Samford Stadium since 2005. Yes, you read that right.

In order to break that streak the Tigers will need to put together an immaculate gameplan and execute it flawlessly. Georgia looks primed to compete for yet another SEC title, and QB Gunnar Stockton along with that talented offensive line will be a huge test for Golesh and the boys.

As far as matchups go, I believe this will be a game where Auburn’s running ability will tell the tale. UGA’s secondary is loaded and will be the toughest one to date that many of these receivers will have faced, most comparatively to what the USF crew saw at Miami last year (shoutout Keionte Scott).

Auburn’s defense will keep things competitive, but Georgia will start leaning on the running game and wear the Tigers down. Auburn proves it belongs with the big boys of the conference, but the talent gap is still noticeable over sixty minutes. Games like this are why coaches typically say they need 2-3 years to get the roster the way they need it. Programs like Georgia are still able to stack front-end talent and outlast opponents over the course of 60 minutes.

Prediction: Georgia wins 30-20
Record: 4-2


Game 7: LSU

This is the swing game.

Coming home after consecutive road losses, Jordan-Hare will need to remind people why it is one of the loudest environments in college football. I do want to say that these two teams kicking off before noon should be a crime. SEC and ESPN, be better.

Lane Kiffin brings the Baton Rouge reality show/football program into Auburn as part of their 8th game in 8 weeks. Things can get wild down there, so the state of that program will be something to watch when this game arrives.

Sam Leavitt and the rest of the purple-and-gold Tigers have loads of talent and cutting-edge coaches leading them into this one. I’m not sold on Leavitt as the guy, but I understand why schools were after him in the portal. He certainly has had moments where he looks the part. If anyone can squeeze every bit of potential out of a QB, Lane Kiffin is the guy who can do it.

The resiliency that Alex Golesh is trying to build in this program gets put to the test in this one. How many times over the years have we seen an early morning swing game in Jordan-Hare go well for the Tigers? I can certainly name a few that haven’t. Despite the fanfare and attention Kiffin will bring, this game is about Auburn. The Tigers have had success at home against LSU in somewhat recent memory, winning 8 of 12 in Auburn since the turn of the century with two of those four losses being by 3 points combined.

The LSU offense will be yet another tough test for this defense. Star transfer Jayce Brown will be a name to watch out for. Auburn’s secondary will need to get plenty of rest and be ready for absolute battle.

The key to this game for Auburn will be the offensive line. If they can hold the game breakers from LSU at bay, I truly believe Auburn can force some matchups in its favor. How many high leverage matchups can AU’s skill players win over the course of 60 minutes? That is the big question.

I originally had this game as a true toss up. Ultimately, LSU has too much talent and will likely be in desperation mode after a tough September.

Prediction: LSU wins 24-16
Record: 4-3


Game 8: at Ole Miss

This one will have quite a few storylines. Deuce Knight’s transfer will be a talking point, but we likely won’t see him in this one.

Ole Miss has lots of new coaches, but return playmakers that we saw go to the CFP Semifinals a year ago. Kewan Lacy returns and looks like a top 5 back in the country. Chambliss is great, and they’ll have some talented weapons on the outside for him to throw to.

Pete Golding is a solid defensive mind and has some real players on that side of the ball. Vaught-Hemingway will be fired up, especially if the Rebs are on pace for another playoff appearance.

When looking at the two programs right now, it’s going to be difficult to see Auburn controlling this game in any manner. I think this game looks a lot like Tennessee. Auburn has some high-end talent, but they are a few more cycles away from having the total team talent of an Ole Miss program that has been benefitting from Lane Kiffin and the previous staff’s recruiting prowess.

Auburn hangs in this game for a while, I’ll even say they’ll be tied at halftime. However, Chambliss works his magic and scores enough to keep the Tigers at arm’s length.

Prediction: Ole Miss wins 37-24
Record: 4-4


Game 9: Arkansas

Ryan Silverfield takes over in Fayetteville after Sam Pittman, and the Hogs have a lot of work to do. Many outlets have Arkansas finishing last in the SEC this year. As we all know, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be an easy out. Nobody is in the SEC.

A small storyline to note here is that Golesh was very close to taking the Arky job before Auburn came calling. Don’t think that doesn’t motivate coaches in a certain way. Gus Malzahn had a history with Arkansas and there was no secret to how he felt about the Hogs. Look up the scores between Gus’s Auburn teams and Arkansas…he loved putting it to them.

Auburn should have their way with the Razorbacks, and being at home after 4 straight losses should absolutely help. Arkansas hangs around for a half before Auburn starts taking control physically behind Byrum Brown and the stable of Auburn backs. The running game closes the door, and the defense creates a turnover late in the game that seals the deal.

Prediction: Auburn wins 41-24
Record: 5-4


Game 10: at Mississippi State

The Bulldogs should be much improved this year. Jeff Lebby has raised the floor of this program, although State fans don’t want to hear that. They want to see more wins on the field. Kamario Taylor is the headliner in maroon and white and is primed for a coming out party. SEC fans are somewhat familiar with him, but the entire country is about to find out what he can do.

As for the rest of the Bulldogs, they still lack the overall talent and depth needed to be in the top half of the conference. I do think they will pull off one or even multiple upsets. Can they can play at a high enough level the entire season to truly break through the glass ceiling? Hopefully not on this day.

As for Auburn, they have a big opportunity here. Losing 4 in a row will not sit well on this fanbase’s minds. Rattling off 3 in a row before the Iron Bowl is a big opportunity for a staff in its first year. Remember everyone, seven wins would be the most in a season since 2020.

This game will look a lot like Tennessee due to the similar styles of offense. Lebby comes from the Briles tree and with that comes an expectation of a wide open offense and dynamic QB play.

Even though the game is in Starkville, Auburn’s talent should be able to keep the pressure on the ‘Dawgs. Byrum Brown has a productive day through the air, spreading it around to at least 8 targets. I’ll even predict that Bryce Cain finds the end zone en route to a Tigers victory. Stamp it.

Prediction: Auburn wins 35-17
Record: 6-4


Game 11: Samford

Not gonna put too much into this one, but Auburn needs to take care of business. Get up on them early, and allow some young guys to get into the mix. Hopefully we get to see Tristan Ti’a in some second half mop up duty.

Alex Golesh has historically put up big numbers on overmatched teams in his time as a play caller and head coach. Based on that alone, I expect lots of fireworks and a tough day for the Bulldogs from Homewood.

Prediction: Auburn wins 63-13
Record: 7-4



Game 12: at Alabama

The big one. The greatest rivalry in college sports.

The Tide are very interesting this year, and I can see their season going many ways. I do know that Kalen Deboer will have whoever starts at QB playing extremely confident by game twelve. It is safe to assume that Bama will likely be competing for the playoff by this time in the season.

This game is so far off, but we can look at recent history with how Auburn has played in Tuscaloosa. 2010 was the last win, but the only recent ones that were competitive were 2014 and the first half of the 2016 game.

Coming off three straight victories, Auburn will certainly have some momentum. The biggest question for me is what is Alabama as a program at this point. That’s a huge wildcard.

Auburn’s offense makes some plays and I believe the defense will keep them in it for a long time. Unfortunately, the Crimson Tide’s playmakers do enough to get out of this with a win. Even in a loss, I think some hope will come out of it. Keep it close, and Auburn fan’s won’t have the same feeling they’ve had so many times before in Tuscaloosa.


Prediction: Alabama wins 34-24
Record: 7-5