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The Auburn Tigers have struggled immensely in recent years, as the team has not had a winning season since 2019 or a bowl win since 2018.
Many believe that Alex Golesh, the Tigers latest head coach, will be able to right the ship, but Sporting News Bill Bender is not convinced.
In fact, in a recent piece predicting each bowl game, as well as the first round of the College Football Playoff bracket, Bender notably excluded the Tigers from all of his predictions, despite the fact that the Tigers are largely expected to cross the bowl threshold of six wins this season.
This is, without doubt, a notable omission, though referring to it as a snub may be a stretch, as the Tigers simply have not done anything in recent years to insinuate that, regardless of roster talent, this team will have a top-level season.
For the Tigers to make a bowl game this year, or potentially even a college football playoff berth, it will take something that Auburn has lacked for years now: synchronicity between its offense and defense.
For years now, the Tigers defense has consistently kept them within striking distance in big-time matchups, but the offense is seemingly never able to strike when it counts.
In fact, the Tigers had one of the best defenses in the country last year by counting stats, which they paired with one of the most highly-rated offenses by recruiting rankings in recent history.
Despite the immense talent present on the offensive side of the ball, though, the Tigers have won just one of their last 12 one-score games.
At USF, where Coach Golesh held his last position, the issue seemed to be the opposite.
The Bulls had a top-level offense, led by Byrum Brown and top-tier receivers like Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod and Jeremiah Koger, but their defense appeared quite thin throughout the season, costing them games such as their 2025 matchup with Navy.
Believe it or not, both of these facts are actually incredible news for the Tigers in 2026, whose offense will largely be the same as USFs 2025 offense, while their defense will also largely remain the same as last years.
It is the best of both worlds for the Tigers, a perfect storm that could prove to be the difference in 2026.
So, if the Tigers miss out on a bowl game this year, things could quickly get ugly on the Plains for Golesh, who has promised that this season will be a foundation for the future of his tenure.
If that foundation is weak, his tenure may be short-lived, not unlike his two predecessors.
Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news! Brooks is an Atlanta-born sports journalism major.
His work has been featured on Eagle Eye TV, Fly War Eagle, Sporting News, Bleacher Report, MSN, among others.
Additionally, Brooks anchors Eagle Eye TVs Sports Night in Auburn, a live broadcast shared on Channel Six and YouTube Live.
Follow itsbrookscrew.