Does Auburn have the Nation's Toughest Schedule in 2026?

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh will have his hands full with a difficult schedule to begin his tenure.

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh will have his hands full with a difficult schedule to begin his tenure. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn's 2026 football schedule, once again, is considered one of the toughest in the country, with On3's Crain and Cone show giving the Tigers the fifth-toughest schedule behind only Ohio State, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

NEW: Hardest 2026 College Football Schedules via @CrainAndCone👀

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— On3 (@On3) February 10, 2026

Auburn is no stranger to tough schedules, as the Tigers entered 2025 with the No. 21 schedule in the country in terms of difficulty. However, as with many other SEC teams, the addition of a ninth conference game and the new requirement to play a Power 4 team out of conference have each ratcheted up the difficulty.

The Tigers are set to play five teams in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 in Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, and Tennessee, with four of those five games set to be on the road. Additionally, Golesh’s team will play seven consecutive games to end the year, four of which are road trips.

Auburn’s season starts with a matchup against the Baylor Bears and former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway at a neutral site in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, that game was initially scheduled to be played in Jordan-Hare Stadium before being moved to Atlanta by the Tigers and athletic director John Cohen.

The second game of Auburn’s season is the first of two games against lower competition as the Tigers play host to the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss. SEC play begins for Auburn in Week 3, as it enters its Oct. 10 bye week with games at home vs Florida, at home vs Vanderbilt, and at Tennessee.

Out of the bye, Auburn alternates home and away games for the remainder of the season. The Tigers’ final seven games are at Georgia, home vs LSU, at Ole Miss, vs Arkansas, at Mississippi State, vs Samford, and the Iron Bowl at Alabama in Rivalry Week.

The most pivotal stretch for Golesh’s squad will be the six games from Sept. 19 vs Florida to the Halloween game at Ole Miss, in which Auburn will see not just familiar opponents, but familiar faces.

First up is former receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who left in the portal to join the Florida Gators and former Auburn receivers coach Marcus Davis. The Tennessee game will mean a reunion with Kayin Lee, who was a three-year starter at corner on The Plains. 

Auburn will see former five-star edge rusher Amaris Williams in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry in Athens against Georgia, as well as defensive line transfer Malik Blocton against LSU on Oct. 24

However, the real reunion party will be on Halloween in Oxford as Auburn takes on Ole Miss. If quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is not eligible to play for the Rebels in 2026, the starter for Ole Miss will likely be former Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight, and one of Knight’s targets will be receiver transfer Horatio Fields. Ole Miss will also be starting two former Tigers on the outside at corner in Jay Crawford and Antonio Kite.

Though the final four games of Auburn’s schedule are slightly easier by SEC standards, the Tigers will need to win at least three of them to stay in good standing for a good bowl game. Overall, Auburn should be happy with eight or more wins given the matchups, especially the difficulty of the Tigers’ road slate.