The Auburn Tigers finally seem to be back on the rise after six straight seasons of mediocrity, helped in large part by new head coach Alex Golesh, who took the reins this past offseason after Hugh Freeze was fired. The Tigers got off to a bit of a bumpy start to the year, but a statement win over the No. 1 team in the land has Tiger fans feeling a good bit better about their program’s future.

That is not to say that everything has been perfect for the Tigers this year, though; any Tiger fan would tell you that. The Tigers struggled immensely in the early part of this season, though coming out of the bye week, something seems to have flipped on the Plains. We’ll see if they can carry that momentum into this week’s matchup with LSU.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg broke down exactly what has gone right for the Tigers so far this season, though he didn’t mince words about what has not gone to plan for the Tigers in 2026. Let’s break it down, starting with what has gone well for the Tigers.

“Even before the breakthrough win over then-No. 1 Georgia, Auburn had played well for stretches, especially on defense, which propelled wins over Vanderbilt and Baylor,” he wrote. “The Tigers have surrendered only six passing touchdowns, tied for 22nd fewest nationally… Keshaun Singleton and Chas Nimrod have formed a solid receiver tandem.”

The Tigers’ major struggles this year, barring a rough defensive showing against Jadan Baugh and Florida, have largely boiled down to offensive inefficiency, an issue the Tigers seemed to crack a bit against Georgia by letting the offense run more smoothly through quarterback Byrum Brown.

Throughout the Georgia game, the Tigers’ playcalling seemed to lean on Brown’s legs much more than it had over the past few games, as the offense ran several more rush plays designed around him, and he also seemed to improvise better on passing plays that didn’t develop quickly enough or were well-covered, which led to a massive offensive improvement in Athens.

However, as mentioned, not everything has gone well for the Tigers, particularly earlier in the season.

“Before Week 7, Auburn had struggled to put together complete performances, often lagging on offense with 21 points or fewer in three of five games,” he wrote. “The Tigers' offensive line has struggled in protection, allowing 23 sacks, most among Power 4 teams and more than all but three FBS squads. Atkins' dismissal is jarring, as he was the team's top returnee, but also seemingly an isolated situation.”

Sacks have been, in particular, a massive issue for the Tigers this season, as they, rather ironically, were last season under Hugh Freeze and an entirely different offensive line and quarterback. That quality did not improve significantly against Georgia, as Brown still went down five times over the course of the game.

Atkins’ dismissal is just as Rittenburg put it: jarring. However, especially in the wake of an Atkins-less win in Athens, the loss of the All-American does not necessarily seem to be too taxing on the Tigers, especially with several talented depth options waiting in the wings. After all, they beat Georgia without him. 

Overall, Rittenburg is satisfied with the direction Auburn is heading, even if it has been a shaky road to get there.

“Golesh's review would have been lukewarm, at best, before the Georgia win, but there's no minimizing what the Tigers accomplished in Athens,” he said. “They showcased both their talent and mettle, rallying from 14-0 down with 24 consecutive points. The team has been competitive in both losses. Golesh, a gifted recruiter, will have more talented rosters in future seasons, but he is establishing some good culture elements in Year 1.”