2026 GAME 6 REVIEW: SALVATION

Auburn 27 Georgia 24. I did not believe until the kick went through and the game ended. I felt like Tim Robbins character in the "Shawshank Redemption" after he escaped the prison. The definition of a "true fan" has definitely been debated a little bit behind the scenes after Auburn's improbable victory. Is a "true fan" one who always believes in whatever coach and team and stays positive no matter what? If so I am certainly NOT a "true fan". I do wear the ring from Auburn and have watched the football team since I was old enough to watch a television but I am going to call it like I see it. I will also say my vision and many others has been affected by five years of losing on the plains. After another disappointing opening to another Auburn football season somewhere along the line I lost hope this season.

The depression and hopelessness over Auburn's current state escalated this week after looking back at what used to be a very special game. I spent all week reviewing the history of this great rivalry and was actually going to post a bunch of highlights (from both sides) and my memories of this great series. The first Auburn game I ever went to was Georgia. This game and not the other one has so many times been Auburn's best effort and game of the season. There have been so many championships and also four Heisman Trophies clinched in this game. The fields for BOTH SCHOOLS are named after coaches who graduated from the OTHER SCHOOL. I will post all of that soon but unbelievably I can actually write about the present and not the past on this fine Sunday.

I said the depression and hopelessness over Auburn's current state escalated this week after looking back at the history of this series and that was because I read about so many great Auburn teams and players. It actually upset me. Auburn is a great place and an historic football school! It is just ridiculous the program is where it was at before the game Saturday. It has been five years of blowouts or close losses. That is why even playing good did not make me feel better while watching the game. Bryan Harsin ALMOST beat Bama his first year, Cadillac ALMOST beat State in his first game. Hugh Freeze ALMOST beat Bama his first year and Georgia his second. Durkin ALMOST beat Bama last year. I am sorry I am sick to death with ALMOST. I think most Auburn fans are.

I mean I am still having a hard time believing it happened and this is for real. The game opened how just about all of us thought it would... Georgia just destroying Auburn. The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove down for a touchdown in five plays. They then stopped Auburn, got the ball back and then went down and scored another one this time in seven plays. Georgia 14 Auburn 0. I was cussing the coaches, I was cussing the players, I literally had not one ounce of belief left. IT... WAS... OVER... ALREADY!!! I was so mad but luckily I think the players were too. Auburn put on maybe the most impressive drive of the season as the Tigers scored on a nine play 75 yard drive capped by a trick play pass from wide receiver Chris Neptune to wide receiver Keyshawn Singleton. 

I am like OK that was nice, I mean at least we scored. Auburn then stopped Georgia twice and after the second time the Tigers once again drove impressively down the field this time getting the touchdown on maybe the catch of the year by Chas Nimrod. Auburn 14 Georgia 14. I am going to continue being honest and say I was stunned. This was the first time Auburn had scored two touchdowns in Athens since 2009 (!!!). However the memories from the last five years overwhelmed any positivity but there was a tiny thought did appear about droughts ending and great Auburn wins of the past in this series from reading about all those former Auburn but I dismissed it. Auburn then blocked a Georgia field goal and then went on a ten play drive and  made their field goal. Auburn 17 Georgia 14 at the half.

The bad more current memories were still overwhelming any real hope though. I am like "yeh yeh we were winning at halftime last year too. We have not won in Athens since 2005 and plenty of better teams than this one have tried and failed to break that streak. There is NO WAY it happens today." My psyche was so down that I was actually doing something around the house and my daughter had to yell at me that the half had started and we were driving... Byrum Brown capped a nine play 76 yard drive with a five yard touchdown run. Auburn 24 Georgia 14. Auburn had scored 24 unanswered points. I am up and pacing now, five years of disappointment plus way more than that in this game telling me that it is NOT going to happen. I am just getting set up for more heartbreak. The other side saying... there is hope.

The Auburn defense who looked SO BAD the first two drives forces another interception from the guy many people said after leading the win at Bama last week is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. I am really pacing now, could this really happen? Georgia forces a three-and-out and starts driving. Auburn does hold them to a field goal. Auburn 24 Georgia 17. The teams trade punts and then Georgia stops Auburn again, gets the ball back and drives 94 yards for the tying touchdown. It did not take much to steal my hope away... I was getting really mad even at a close loss. I mean yes even if Auburn lost here, this effort meant a lot and Golesh had showed the proof of concept I asked for last week but I simply could not take more "hey good job gutty little Auburn, you guys did so good, you should be happy even though you lost" BS.

Auburn 24 Georgia 24 with five minutes left in the game. Auburn gets the ball back... but then has to punt and after a pass interference call Georgia is in business near midfield with a minute left. They just have to make 20 to 25 yards and kick a field goal to win it. I could already see the Georgia players and fans going nuts. I sat there with my head in my hands. Here we go again... WILL IT EVER END??? There have been so many upsets in the SEC this year, why can't Auburn ever do it? TWENTY ONE years of futility in Athens, NINE years since winning against them at all, FIVE years of losing seasons under Harsin and Freeze... WILL IT EVER END??? I am not even sure I saw the snap as I sat there shaking my head. I looked up and saw Stockton fumble the ball and Sylvester Smith recover for Auburn...

I went from agony to ecstasy... jumping up and screaming!!! Hope was now flowing but plenty of doubt was still there, Auburn still had to get in field goal range. I was also literally pleading for a win at this point, begging for no more heartbreak with every crushing moment of the last five years still there. PLEASE. Jeremiah Cobb for twelve yards on first down. I am near tears. PLEASE. Byrum Brown makes two five yards runs and now there is less than 30 seconds left... PLEASE. Brown then throws that pass and I am screaming "what are you doing???" and then I see him get flattened and see the flag. OH MY GOSH. Auburn now has the ball at the twenty yard line with 15 seconds. Byrum Brown goes up the middle to get the ball in the middle of the field. 

Auburn kicker Alex McPherson comes on to attempt one of the biggest field goals in Auburn history. He makes it and the Auburn Tigers beat the #1 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. IT... HAS... BEEN... SO... LONG... It has been so long since Auburn has beaten Georgia in Athens. It has been so long since Auburn has beaten Georgia AT ALL. It has been so long since Auburn has won ANY KIND OF BIG GAME. IT... HAS... BEEN... SO... LONG... It all comes down to a kid who was so sick he weighed well under a hundred pounds and had his large intestine removed a couple of years ago. A kid who worked his way all the way back. He personified this team that had struggled so much this season working there way to this chance at salvation for a team, a coaching staff and a fan base that could barely dare to hope.

Alex McPherson nailed it. Auburn 27 Georgia 24. FINALLY. Everyone wearing orange and blue was unleashed. The images from the moment poured out all night and I loved every minute of it. The students rushing Toomers for a victory worthy of celebrating and Auburn fans everywhere finally getting to celebrate a big win. The level of suffering that Auburn people have had to go through made this one truly special. I do not know if this team will get another big win this season and I still do not know if Alex Golesh will ultimately be successful at Auburn. I am sure there are plenty more tough times to come but what is certain is Golesh and this team earned an historic win that truly meant something and that is something the last two coaches never did. It is FINALLY great to be an Auburn Tiger again.

2026 GAME 5 REVIEW: No Proof Of Concept

Tennessee 24  Auburn 14.  This game did not go how many people including myself thought it would go but still ended where everyone thought it would.  It was even more painful I think for Auburn fans watching this version.  Auburn had the lead at halftime against Tennessee in Neyland Stadium.  Tennessee had benched their starting quarterback who was a disaster.  Auburn just had to score a few more points and hold a Vol team that could not throw the football.  Auburn could do neither and lost the game and what looked like their best chance to pull an upset in this gauntlet of top teams in conference they have to go through this season.  Auburn will play no more conference opponents with weak quarterbacks outside Arkansas.  In fact Auburn will now have to play ALL of the BEST quarterbacks in the SEC in the coming weeks.

THE GOOD

Byrum Brown I think will be a part of this section each week.  Of course he will also probably be in the bad section as well but he is still Auburn's main playmaker.  Both of Auburn's touchdowns this week were based on great plays by Brown.  He made a great seven yard run through several Vol defenders on third and goal to put Auburn ahead in the first half.  He then in the fourth quarter when all looked lost around him scrambled for 57 yards (with help from Tennessee's over pursuing defense) to put Auburn in position to score a touchdown on the next play on a nifty pitch-pass.  That gave Auburn a chance to win in the fourth quarter which is huge for this Auburn team against anybody any good.  Unfortunately he also missed several passes and threw two interceptions but we will cover that in the next section...

The Auburn defense played a great first half although Tennessee starting quarterback Faizon Brandon looked completely lost and scared to death.  I mean I would also be pretty upset if I was a Tennessee fan that at this point in the Heupel regime they are trotting out a quarterback that unprepared.  The Vols could barely complete a pass and gained no positive yards through the air with Brandon.  In fact, he threw one swing pass well behind his receiver and then threw as ugly an interception as you can throw that gave Auburn a short field to get their first half touchdown.  The Tiger defense then stacked the box and stopped the strong Vol running game...  in the first half.  Tennessee only had 87 yards rushing at halftime in addition to being scared and behind 7-3.  Unfortunately the second half was much different...

THE BAD

Tennessee finished the game with 237 yards rushing with monster tailback DeSean Bishop accounting for 220 yards of that (!!!) and scoring THREE TOUCHDOWNS.  The Vol offensive line and Bishop simply bludgeoned the Auburn defense much like Florida did a few weeks ago.  Auburn seemed helpless against the onslaught even knowing Tennessee was not going to throw much.  Tennessee backup quarterback George Macintyre did also help steady the ship and hit just enough passes to get the Vols through.  As bad as Heupel's coaching was in the first half it was impressive watching him shift to and stick with heavy run formations.  If the teams were switched would Alex Golesh have done the same thing?  I do not think so but back to the Auburn defense.  The problem is well documented, the line is weak.  The problem is not going away and it is the reason Auburn has not and will not stop anybody any good.

The problem is the same on the other side of the ball.  It is in fact even worse.  This is one of the worst, if not the worst offensive line I have ever seen at Auburn.  As always I know these are some good guys who are working hard but they are just not good enough to play in the SEC.  Auburn did have a few good runs and it makes you wonder if things would be better if Auburn went heavy like Tennessee did "running the piss out of the ball" as Golesh promised in his opening presser?  The Tigers cannot pass.  Brown averaged under five yards a pass and rarely has time to throw and does not look comfortable in the pocket when he does.  I think Auburn would be much better served to run the ball and the clock and shorten the games.  However Golesh and his boys refuse to deviate from the hurry-up and spreading the field most of the time which is making Auburn's chances of winning any games look a lot worse.

THE UGLY

I believe I would be labelled a "negative alarmist" or something to that effect by calmer heads.  Those people point out we already knew that Auburn was in a bad spot and no matter what anybody else says this was always going to be a tough rebuilding year.  They say we have to give Golesh time.  All of that is true to an extent however my response is the same as last week.  It all comes down to whether Golesh can get a LOT of really good players to come to Auburn starting next year.  I have coached multiple sports for almost 25 years.  I have coached at every age level and currently coach at the high school level.  I have not coached football but the principle is the same.  The FIRST THING I look at for any team is how good my players are compared to the league I play in and then how can I put them in the best position to succeed.  

I will deal with the latter first, I do not think as a coach Golesh is putting this team especially the offense in the best position to succeed.  In fact he seems to value his system over doing that.  His bad job with this offense which in turn is also hurting his defense is then ultimately hurting his MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE and that is attracting GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYERS to come to Auburn NEXT YEAR.  He is showing NO PROOF OF CONCEPT.  I am as down as I have ever been in my life as an Auburn football fan because I do not think Auburn is going to be able to attract and bring in near enough good players to turn this disaster around and that is the BOTTOM LINE.  Auburn may up the cash but their competitors for really good players will have just as much cash and more success to sell. 

Auburn has finished the easy part of its schedule and now again face a murder's row of good teams with really good quarterbacks outside Arkansas and Samford.  Arkansas also might not be a gimme depending on the state of the team after the beatdowns that are coming.  Things are guaranteed to get worse as injuries inevitably follow a team struggling like this making things much tougher.  Golesh's best chance to show something, to show that proof of concept, and sell his program was in the first part of this season and he failed.  Stealing a quote from a friend after the game ended yesterday, Golesh can talk the talk (and my gosh he talks a lot) but at this point there is ZERO evidence that he walks the walk.  I am not sure what else Auburn and Golesh can accomplish the rest of this season other than survive it.