Where Auburn Stands in CBS Sports’ SEC Power Rankings After Vanderbilt Win

On Saturday, the Auburn Tigers picked up their first SEC home win since 2024, and even though it was not exactly glamorous for the Tigers, getting into the SEC win column is always a good spot to be, especially after the failures of the past few seasons.

The Tigers have not looked particularly strong so far throughout the season, but there have been flashes of what the Tigers could be if things start clicking more consistently. On Tuesday, CBS Sports released their power rankings for the upcoming week of SEC football– let’s see how the Tigers shape up.

Auburn ranks as the 13th-best team in the SEC, which, out of 16 teams, is not exactly a major vote of confidence. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford explains his reasoning.

“The transition to the SEC hasn't exactly been smooth for Alex Golesh and his collection of South Florida transfers, although the Tigers are still 3-1,” he said. “The blueprint for success in Golesh's first year was on display last weekend against Vanderbilt. Lean on the defense and let Byrum Brown run the offense. Maybe that keeps the Tigers in some games with a tough stretch upcoming.”

More than anything, it hasn’t been an overall struggle that has defined the Tigers this season; rather, it has been inconsistency. Auburn has looked incredible on offense at times, but has also struggled to get going early in games, while the defense has shown incredible grit, but has also fallen victim to many mental errors and misalignments that have cost them several chunk plays.

It’s not set to get any easier for Auburn, either; the Tigers are set to face off against some of the toughest competition in the conference over the next month, starting with next week’s matchup against Tennessee, before heading to Athens to take on Georgia, then taking on a home matchup with LSU and finally traveling to Oxford to take on Ole Miss to cap off the month.

For reference, the Vols are, in the same rankings, listed as the eighth-best team in the SEC, Georgia is listed as the second-best, LSU is listed as the sixth-best and Ole Miss is listed as the fifth-best. The Tigers certainly have their work cut out for them in the month of October, though a win over any of these teams would significantly help their chances at bowl eligibility.

The season is still young, and there is plenty of time for the Tigers to continue to work on consistency throughout longer matchups; if they get it figured out, they could be a problem for the rest of the SEC.

Otherwise, it may be a spooky month for the Auburn faithful.

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