What are Auburn football's five easiest games of the 2026 season?

There are five games that could be in Auburn football's favor this season and why they could win those games.

It's a new era on the Plains with head coach Alex Golesh entering year one of his tenure. He comes from South Florida, where he was 23-15 and 2-0 in bowl games over three seasons. Through the transfer portal, he brought a baker's dozen with him from USF to Auburn. The headliner being quarterback Byrum Brown, who finished 2025 with 42 total touchdowns.

The consensus seems to be that with a haul of USF players and key player like Brown that Tigers should be a bowl team. Auburn is coming off a rough stretch of seasons where the Tigers have finished below .500, so a bowl season with a bowl win would be a big step forward in the right direction.

Number for me is seven when looking at Auburn's schedule this year, then add a bowl win to cap the year off you finish 8-5. A record that many take for a year one head coach. So below, I've listed five games that I believe Auburn could win to achieve that record. To be clear, I left Southern Miss and Samford off the list. Though it is possible for teams to overlook lesser opponents, but I do not think Golesh and the Tigers will do that.

The week one opener that is getting closer and closer as we speak. Baylor and Auburn went head-to-head week one last season at Baylor, and the Tigers came out victorious 38-24. This year Baylor has a new quarterback and defensive coordinator. They bring in Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, who took a bit of a confidence hit. He will go up against a defense that has been strong all offseason led by defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. It is very likely Durkin will have his defense causing chaos for Lagway. Looking at their new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. The Bears' defensive will be learning a new scheme coming off a year where they finished No. 122 in the nation.

The team that Golesh beat 18-16 last year from the SEC, and he did it in the Swamp. Now Florida, just like Auburn, is starting a new coaching tenure with Jon Sumrall. Many Gator fans did not like the hire at first but now have come to be excited for Sumrall. Defensively the Gators should be solid under Sumrall and be a tough to team to play in years to come. The thing is we are a talking about the now, and the now features a Florida coming to Jordan-Hare week three. A Florida team that is still trying to figure out their quarterback. The night game atmosphere at Auburn can get hectic for opposing teams, and I believe under Golesh the Tigers will be back to winning those home-field advantage games.

This is not the same Vanderbilt team that Auburn has struggled against the last couple years because of the clear answer in no more Diego Pavia. The star quarterback has moved on to the NFL and is pursuing a roster spot. Vanderbilt still has their head coach Clark Lea and offensive coordinator Tim Beck, so good to have continuity in today's age of college football. The weakness that I think the Tigers will take advantage of is the fact the Commodores will be a starting true freshman Jared Curtis at quarterback. He was seen as one the top commits in the nation as a five-star prospect, but it does not matter who it is because no road start in the SEC is easy. This will be another game where Durkin flexes the defense.

Let's be honest, Arkansas will most likely be at the bottom the SEC by the end of the year. Originally it was the Razorbacks that were knocking at the door for Alex Golesh's services as a head coach. Instead they pivoted to hiring Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield. Arkansas was the solo SEC win for the Tigers last season and now have them visiting the Plains this year. It's rare to say in the SEC, but this game is a must win game for the Tigers. This seems to be the game where we could see some big flashes from the offense against a defensive that gave up 33.8 points per game.

This game could turn into a pretty tough road trip for Auburn. If the Bulldogs' quarterback Kamario Taylor turns into something special, then it could be a long day for the Tigers' defense containing him. The speed and tempo of Golesh's offense could wear down the Bulldogs and give the Tigers control of this ballgame. Finally the quarterback leans in favor of Auburn's Byrum Brown to be able to drive down the field and win this game.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: What are Auburn football's five easiest games of the 2026 season?