Did Auburn finally make the right decision? That question is everywhere on the Plains as the Tigers head into the 2026 season with their third head coach since 2021. What started as instability on the sideline soon became uncertainty at quarterback, and together those issues have led Auburn football into one of its most difficult stretches in decades.
There is fresh optimism this year with Alex Golesh taking over the program. The former South Florida head coach arrives with energy, confidence, and his quarterback Byrum Brown, and much of Auburn’s hope for a turnaround rests squarely on their partnership.
Golesh has said all the right things since arriving and has generated real momentum on the recruiting trail. Still, Auburn fans know that offseason buzz only matters if it translates into wins. A winning record would be a welcome step forward, but true progress—and real belief—will only come if the Tigers can overcome their biggest obstacle: beating Alabama and Georgia.
Analyst Hunt Palmer recently underscored just how deep Auburn’s struggles against its two biggest rivals have been. Over the past decade, those matchups have quietly defined Auburn’s decline. Even with Nick Saban no longer on the Alabama sideline and Georgia no longer resembling the dominant machine it once was, Auburn has continued to fall short.
The numbers are hard to ignore. Auburn has beaten Georgia only once in the past 13 years and Alabama just twice in the past 12. Since the unforgettable chaos of the 2013 season, those two rivals have overwhelmingly controlled the series. For Auburn to achieve anything meaningful again, that trend must change.
The task will not be easy in 2026. Auburn faces both Alabama and Georgia on the road. The Tigers have not won in Tuscaloosa since Cam Newton led the program in 2010, and their last victory in Athens came all the way back in 2005. Complicating matters further, this is Golesh’s first season on the Plains, working with many players and staff members for the first time.
The challenge in front of Alex Golesh is massive, but everything so far suggests he is ready to face it head-on. His first opportunity to set the tone comes quickly, as Auburn opens the season against Baylor in Atlanta in early September. For a fan base desperate for proof, that game may offer the first real sign of whether this rebuild is finally headed in the right direction.