Predicting the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Season: Auburn Tigers Preview, Game Picks
· Yahoo Sports
Last and least of the wild blind dart-throwing predictions of Alabama SEC opponents is the eternal soap opera in Lee County.
GAME 12, NOV 28: AUBURN TIGERS
Coach: Comrade Alex Golesh (23–15 in three seasons at USF)
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2025 Aub record: 5-7 (1-7 in SEC, T-13th in the conference, no Bowl)
CB 2025 Prediction: 6-6; I missed on losses at home to Missouri and Kentucky, but thought Baylor could take them.
Fun Fact: Auburn has not won a bowl game since the 2018 season.
Looking back: The Aubies were feeling mighty cocky after their War Tigers beat Baylor in Waco followed by a pair of cupcake wins. The 3-0 Plains Tigers made their way to Norman, Oklahoma ranked No. 22, but the Sooners rained on that parade. The first defeat of the season was followed by three more in a row in Texas A&M, Georgia, and Missouri. The saving grace was a trip to Fayetteville that resulted in a win over Arky. But the celebrations were short-lived after a home loss to Kentucky. Vandy took down AU in overtime to set the record at 4-6. They would need to win out to get back to a bowl. Mercer cooperated but Alabama did not.
Returning starters: 1 on offense, 2 on defense, punter, and placekicker
Key losses:A LOT! 30 scholarship players left the program. DE Keldric Faulk (1st round, Titans), DE Keyron Crawford (3rd round, Raiders), C Connor Lew (4th round, Bengals), G Jeremiah Wright (4th round, Saints), DT Bobby Jamison-Travis (6th round, Giants); Top three receivers: WR Cam Coleman (transfer to Texas), WR Malcolm Simmons (Texa$ Tech – there is no reason to go to Lubbock except for money), WR Eric Singleton (Florida); All quarterbacks: Ashton Daniels (FSU), Deuce Knight (OM), Jackson Arnold (UNLV), starting LB Robert Woodyard (Mizzou), starting CB Kayin Lee (Tenn), EDGE Amaris Williams (UGA), starting DL Malik Blocton (LSU), WR Perry Thompson (Minnesota), starting left tackle Xavier Chaplin (Florida State), starting CB Jay Crawford (OM).
Top returnees: Defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin was retained along with the DL coach. Everyone else on the coaching staff is new. Key players back include RB Jeremiah Cobb (969 yds, 5 TD), leading tackler LB Xavier Atkins (9 sacks), third leading tackler S Kaleb Harris, S Sylvester Smith-Reed, PK Alex McPherson (20-23 FG), P Hudson Kaak (42.0 ypp).
Top newcomers: 13 former USF Bulls including QB Byrum Brown, QB Locklan Hewlett, RB Nykahi Davenport (612 yds, 7 TD), WR Keshaun Singleton (877 yds, 8 TD), WR Jeremiah Koger (597 yds, 8 TD), WR Chas Nimrod (466 yds, 3 TD), C Cole Best, and TE Jonathan Echols.
From other schools come EDGE Da’Shawn Womack (Ole Miss), CB Andre Jordan (UCLA), DL Cody Sigler (Arkansas State; 5.0 sacks), RB Bryson Washington (Baylor; 788 yds, 6 TD, 1028-12 the year before).
Also of note, former Alabama ST/OLB coach (2022-2023) Coleman Hutzler will coach OLBs for Auburn.
Top Old F**k: DL Dallas Walker IV was in the same 2020 recruiting class as Bryce Young who is starting his fourth NFL season. What are the chances there is already a Dallas Walker V by now and he is playing football somewhere?
Strengths: Hugh Freeze is gone… Familiarity between Byrum Brown and his receivers as they all played together last year at South Florida… Defensive line is decent but lacks a disrupter… LB Xavier Atkins is a solid player for the defense… The opener against Baylor is in Atlanta – about two hours away followed by three home games. The team only leaves the state of Alabama once in November and it is to Starkville, MS… RB Jeremiah Cobb is a solid feature back…
Weaknesses: Leading returning receiver is Cobb who collected 11 passes for all of 83 yards. Everyone else is new to the team… Outside of Cobb, the entire starting offense played for another team last fall… All new starting receving corps, offensive linemen, and tight end with none of them having played in the SEC in their careers… Golesh’s offensive strategy is to go fast with a rhythm that needs players who know how to handle the timing. Will the defense get enough rest when the offense has the inevitable 3-and-out?… Secondary, especially at corner… Four game stretch of at Tennessee, at Georgia, LSU, and at Ole Miss…
Outlook: Auburn is absolutely obsessed with Alabama. First, they made a poor choice of hiring the disastrous Hugh Freeze because a decade ago, one of his previous teams beat the Crimson Tide. Now, they hire this mediocre guy from USF because once upon a time his team gave Bama a hard time for a three quarters. As for Golesh, he just figured he would pick up his entire South Florida offense and drop them in Lee County and everything would be perfect. USF was third in the nation in total offense (488.7 ypg) and fifth in scoring offense (40.5) last season. However against Power teams Florida and Miami-FL, they struggled. USF beat the Gators (because UF was a dumpster fire) but did so scoring only 18 points. The Hurricanes tore the Bulls a new one 49-12. The year before, the Bulls scored 16 versus Alabama and 15 against Miami-FL with many of the same players. So, how will a 9-4 (6-2) AAC offense do in the SEC?
ODDS
- FanDuel Win Total Odds: 6.5
- DraftKings had Bama -10 this summer.
2026 AUBURN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
Sat, Sep 5 vs. Baylor* – W
Sat, Sep 12 vs Southern Miss – W
Sat, Sep 19 vs Florida – W
Sat, Sep 26 vs Vanderbilt – W
Sat, Oct 3 at Tennessee – L
Sat, Oct 10 bye
Sat, Oct 17 at Georgia – L
Sat, Oct 24 vs LSU – L
Sat, Oct 31 at Ole Miss – L
Sat, Nov 7 vs Arkansas – W
Sat, Nov 14 at Mississippi State – L – could be a toss up
Sat, Nov 21 vs Samford – W
Sat, Nov 28 at Alabama – L
* Kickoff Game in Atlanta, GA
PREVIOUS 2026 ALABAMA SCHEDULE PREVIEWS:Sat, Sep 5 vs East Carolina
Sat, Sep 12 @ Kentucky
Sat, Sep 19 vs Florida State
Sat, Sep 26 vs South Carolina
Sat, Oct 3 @ Mississippi State
Sat, Oct 10 vs Georgia
Sat, Oct 17 @ Tennessee
Sat, Oct 24 vs Texas A&M
Sat, Oct 31 – Happy 75th Birthday, Nick!
Sat, Nov 7 @ LSU
Sat, Nov 14 @ Vanderbilt
Sat, Nov 21 vs Chattanooga – not previewing
Sat, Nov 28 vs Auburn – look up!