The Auburn Tigers are at a pivotal point in their season after their recent win over Arkansas, which snapped a two-game losing streak that many Auburn fans feared was too big a hill to climb. However, with five wins, the Tigers just need to beat Mississippi State, Samford or Alabama to earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023.

The Tigers have around 50% odds to take down Mississippi State in Starkville, but even if they fall there, the squad has upwards of a 95% chance to take down Samford the following week, which would be enough to secure bowl eligibility on its own. 

So, which bowl will the Tigers end up in, provided they’re able to pick up another win? CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford has an interesting projection.

In an article released on Sunday, Crawford projected the Tigers to play in a rematch of their Week 1 showing against Baylor in the Liberty Bowl. Ironically, despite the fact that this would be the second time this season the two teams have met, neither matchup would have been played at a team’s home stadium, as their Week 1 game was played in Atlanta, while the Liberty Bowl would be played in Memphis.

It would also be worth noting that Baylor is now operating under interim head coach Joe Klanderman after Dave Aranda, who coached the Bears in Week 1, was fired following the Bears’ loss to Kansas in late October.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited. See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

The Tigers’ season-opening game against the Bears was the first look fans were able to get at an Alex-Golesh-led Auburn team in a real matchup, alongside the many new transfers that came with him from USF and other programs. 

In that matchup, the Tigers barely outlasted the Bears, 17-16, courtesy of a game-saving tackle made by Auburn safety Eric Winters, who took down Baylor tight end Matthew Klopfenstein just inches from a goal line that would have sealed the game in favor of the Bears. 

The matchup with the Bears was also Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown’s first game with the Tigers since transferring from USF, and he struggled to find his rhythm, throwing for 259 passing yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns, though he was able to rush for the eventual game-winning score in the fourth quarter.

Brown has since cleaned up his interception troubles, as he has not thrown an interception since before the bye week, four full games ago, so the Bears would likely not be able to rely on giveaways to take that matchup. 

If the Tigers and Bears were to collide yet again in the postseason, it would be quite the full-circle moment for Alex Golesh and company, who would have gone through a rollercoaster of a season and earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023, just to end up right back where they started.