ESPN Predicts Auburn To Be In This Bowl Game in 2026

Even though the Auburn Tigers have played in just one game this season and are clearly a work in progress, early projection season leaves no stone unturned, and the Tigers have already found themselves with a pair of bowl projections for the conclusion of this season.

The Tigers have not been bowl-eligible since 2023 and have not turned in a winning season since 2019, so an early bowl projection certainly bodes well for Alex Golesh’s first season at the helm. Of course, the Tigers will still have to win six games in a loaded SEC schedule to make a bowl, but a 1-0 start against Baylor is, quite literally, the best possible start in that regard.

According to ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, the Tigers will, in fact, make a bowl this season, though the two disagree on which bowl the Tigers will make and who they’ll match up against. According to Bonagura, the Tigers will make the Kindler’s Texas Bowl and face Cincinnati, while Schlabach argues the Tigers will play in the Birmingham Bowl against Bill Belichick’s North Carolina.

So, how do the Tigers get to six wins–or more–to earn a spot in a bowl this season? Auburn already has one win, so they will need five more, and according to ESPN’s FPI, the Tigers have the strongest chances against Samford (99.6%), Southern Mississippi (91.4%), Arkansas (77.5%), Mississippi State (67.5%) and Vanderbilt (65.2%).

So, if the Tigers take all of those games, they’ll at minimum be eligible for their first bowl appearance since 2023, but if they are able to snag another win or two, say against Florida, which has a 51.6% chance of losing to the Tigers, their bowl standing could improve dramatically.

However, as mentioned, the Tigers are still very clearly a work in progress, as their offensive line rotates three guards at each spot as they try to figure out what works in the trenches, their rushing game is virtually nonexistent and Byrum Brown is struggling with interceptions. The Southern Mississippi game should help a bit, allowing the Tigers to try new ideas and figure out what works, but Florida looms large the following week, and they’re unlikely to leave much room for error.

The Tigers have been projected to make a bowl just about every season, so Tiger fans are already used to the disappointment. This year could be different, but the Tigers will need to figure out some important qualities of their game first.

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