Auburn Retains Their Top Spot in the AP Poll, But for How Long?

At the moment, Auburn has a tight grip on the top spot in Top 25, but threats to the throne loom on the schedule
Auburn has some competition remaining for the top spot in the AP Poll
Auburn has some competition remaining for the top spot in the AP Poll / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

If this season has taught us anything so far, it is the fact that even the best can be tested and tried. Former No. 16 Oregon suffered a six-point loss to an unranked Nebraska team. The day before, the then No. 5 Florida Gators suffered its third loss of the season to rival Tennessee, losing by 20 points

However, this was not the same fate for the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. The Tigers beat the then No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels on the road 92-82 for their 20th win of the season. To date, the Tigers have only lost to the Duke Blue Devils 84-78, at Cameron Indoor Stadium back on Dec. 4, 2024. Since then, Auburn has throttled opponents with their closest game being against the then No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers, 53-51, just a few games ago. If this trend continues, Auburn may struggle against a top team soon.

The Biggest Threats to Auburn’s No. 1 Spot

The No. 6 Florida Gators

The Auburn Tigers will face off against the Florida Gators at home in two games from now. While the Gators just suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Volunteers, they still have won 18 games so far this season. All of the Gators starters have played in every single game this season making them incredibly dangerous when that unit is on the court. 

The No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide 

Two games after their matchup with the Gators, the Tigers find themselves in yet another difficult clash. They take on their in-state rival the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl of basketball in Tuscaloosa. This could very well be one of the best games of the year. Currently, the two teams are on a collision course to both be 1-seeds in next month’s NCAA Tournament according to Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology

The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils 

The Blue Devils started off their season with two losses to fellow blue blood schools. The first came at the hands of the then No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats at home, a 77-72 loss. The second loss came two weeks later when Duke took on the then No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks. This time, Duke lost 75-72. Since November, the Blue Devils have beaten every single team they have faced including Auburn. 

With few regular season games that could trip up the Blue Devils (if any), the Tigers may struggle to retain their No. 1 spot with a much more difficult schedule than their opponents.


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Austin Walls
AUSTIN WALLS

Austin Walls is a University of Florida Sports Journalism graduate. He has covered different sports, from motorsport, professional and college football, professional and college basketball, women's basketball and hockey among others. He has spent most of his time focusing on the SEC Conference, but has spent time covering the AAC, MWC and ACC.