Staff predictions: Baylor football vs. Auburn Tigers
The first real opening week of college football has arrived and Baylor has a big opening test. The Bears will welcome Auburn into McLane Stadium on Friday night for a showdown with the SEC. The Tigers are coming off of a five-win season in 2024, but Auburn brought in some elite talent via the portal like QB Jackson Arnold and WR Eric Singleton.
Baylor also hit the portal quite hard. Dave Aranda went out and landed some defensive help to improve his defense in 2025. The additions of Matthew Fobbs-White, Emar'rion Winston, Travion Barnes, and Calvin Simpson-Hunt, among others, are expected to make the Bears more formidable on that side of the football.
With the game quickly approaching, Baylor Bears on SI's staff predicted the outcome.
Trent Knoop
It's a tough Week 1 game for Baylor, even if Auburn won just five games last season. Head coach Hugh Freeze is squarely on the hot seat and he knows he needs a successful season to win over the fanbase and his superiors. But Dave Aranda also needs a solid season in hopes of getting Baylor back in contention for a Big 12 title.
I'm not sure either defense will stop the opposing offense. Sawyer Robertson is very good and he has great weapons. On the opposite side, Auburn has one of the best WR duos in football with Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton -- if he plays.
In this game, you have to take the more experienced and better quarterback. Give me the Bears in a very tight game.
Final score: Baylor 35, Auburn 31
JaMichael Garrett
Baylor finished the 2024 season strong but ended with a loss to an SEC team. That leaves a bad taste in this program's mouth all offseason, to be able to bring a lot back on both sides of the ball and still add some key pieces in the transfer portal. Baylor has one of the top 10 QBs in the country in my opinion, along with one of the most electric young running backs in the country, along with its stellar defense led by Keaton Thomas. Auburn has a great defense too, but I think with the uncertainty on offense with a new QB coming from Oklahoma and Baylor at home, bringing back the chrome helmets in Waco on a Friday night is just going to be way too much for Auburn to play from behind. I see a new era in Baylor shift as it starts its journey for a conference championship and CFP berth. There is no War in the Eagle.
Final score: Baylor 27, Auburn 20
Josh Abraham
When I look at this game, the big thing that sticks out for me is defense. Both teams are coming in with strong offensive pedigrees: experienced quarterbacks and strong at their skill positions. For that reason, I look to the defense. Although there is a ton of talk about SEC dominance, I like what Dave Aranda and Co. have built and the pieces they have brought in on the defensive side of the ball. For that reason, give me the Bears to shock the SEC in week 1
Final score: Baylor 31, Auburn 27
Josh Crawford
When I asked an Auburn reporter Scott Kennedy about his confidence level in Jackson Arnold, he told me, “confidence is earned.” That told me everything I need to know about how Auburn insiders feel about the QB going into this game. The duo of Singleton and Coleman on the outside will put together some explosive plays, and DL Keldric Faulk will be a headache for both the run and pass game, but, I think Aranda will out-coach Hugh Freeze, and Auburn will beat themselves before Baylor does in a hectic McLane Stadium Week 1.
Final score: Baylor 21, Auburn 17
Luke Hubbard
Baylor returns a ton of production to an offense that finished the year red hot. They have a Heisman candidate in Sawyer Robertson, a 1,000-yard rusher in Bryson Washington and a slew of receivers who can do damage. Auburn may have a ton of talent as well, but they’re counting on a bunch of new faces, including QB Jackson Arnold, to be 100% ready out the gates. In week one, I’m going with the team that’s very familiar with each other.
Final score: Baylor 31, Auburn 23
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My best bet for Auburn vs. Baylor in Week 1
Breaking down Baylor: Jackson Arnold's take on the Bears' 'simulated pressure'
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Why I'm betting Sawyer Robertson to win the Heisman
Everything Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said ahead of Auburn football game
Baylor Football: Behind enemy lines with the Auburn Tigers
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-c6d300a6cd3bbc37e5025fa0d47bc7a7.jpeg "Trent Knoop")
Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
I have Interned for The Michigan Insider on 247Sports. I’ve been a big Michigan fan and love going to games at The Big House. When I’m not watching sports, I enjoy being a family man. I’m married with three kids and I love grilling and bonfires.
Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.
Josh began covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Before this, he previously wrote for Syracuse men's basketball and football at SI from 2022-24. As a former Division I defensive lineman at Prairie View, Josh is passionate about storytelling from a former athlete's perspective. When he's not covering Baylor, he enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts and music, and loves cooking a good meal.
Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.