Auburn football enters the 2026 season with a tough schedule, with each opponent presenting a challenge considering the history of the conference.
Just two weeks after the Tigers face the Florida Gators, Auburn will travel to face another historic SEC rival that has defined generations of college football. New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh, in the midst of his first season on the Plains, will enter the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, Auburn versus Georgia.
In previous seasons, more specifically the 2025 season, Auburn football was described as inconsistent, with a few glimpses of improvement throughout the year. The most notable instance came in the 2025 rivalry game against Georgia.
At Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn had an opportunity to end its streak of losses against the title-winning team after taking a 10-3 lead in the first half. Despite Georgia's second-half recovery, the events that occurred in the game, such as the opening 75-yard drive to a 7-0 lead and a dominant offense that produced a 141-14 advantage, proved Auburn had the ability to challenge one of the SEC's most successful programs. Golesh intends to turn Auburn's inconsistency around by enforcing accountability and toughness while fleshing out the offense alongside the defense, which Auburn has already established.
The last few seasons have established Georgia as one of the most consistent college football programs, earning a second consecutive championship and a fourth overall under Smart's tenure as head coach, which began in 2015. Georgia has exhibited the standards that Auburn plans to reach under Golesh's tenure in the upcoming seasons. Smart's expectations have been to remain the top team in the SEC and compete for championships. In 2025, Georgia completed its regular season near the top of the conference and won the conference championship game.
To compete, Auburn must control Georgia's physicality early on. The Bulldogs are notorious for their ability to control the field, tire their opponents and come back in the third and fourth quarters, while also applying high pressure on defense. Against a defense as disciplined as Georgia's, Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown will need to protect the ball and throw accurately under pressure. While Auburn has yet to take the field, Golesh's previous tenure at South Florida showed that he runs a fast-tempo offense.
Even though the Tigers have a lot of new faces on the field, the tradition and rivalry remain the same. The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is scheduled to take place on Oct. 17 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
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