Paul Finebaum Names Historic SEC Program With 'Way Too Much to Overcome'

The Auburn Tigers are one of six SEC programs entering the 2026 college football season with a new man in charge.

Alex Golesh Looks to Change the Auburn Tigers

The Tigers hired South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh after a terrible run by Hugh Freeze. He went 15-19 in his three seasons at the helm. But the Tigers don't just have a Freeze problem; they have yet to have a winning season since going 6-5 in 2020. The five straight losing seasons is the most in program history.

That's the challenge that Golesh faces. He's hoping to muster up the same success he had at South Florida. He went 23-15 in his three seasons. That includes last season's 9-3 year. A positive for Golesh is that he does have SEC experience. He was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Volunteers in 2021 and 2022, leading the Vols to the best offense in 2022.

He hopes to bring that offensive success to Auburn, and a key piece to that is quarterback Byrum Brown. He was with Golesh at South Florida. Last season, he threw for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns. That established him as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football.

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh during Auburn football practice at Woltosz Football Performance Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Isn't Buying Auburn as an SEC Sleeper in 2026

A caller on "The Paul Finebaum Show" said that he thinks Auburn could be the sleeper of the SEC this season. Finebaum said that while Golesh has done a great job changing the program, he's not sure they are quite up to being a sleeper.

"Golesh has changed the program, but way too much to overcome," Finebaum said.

Goelsh Ready to Take Auburn to a New Level

Golesh has made it clear that establishing a new identity is a major priority as he attempts to rebuild the program. There is a legitimate reason for optimism. Golesh has already demonstrated that he can transform a struggling program, and Brown gives him a quarterback who knows exactly what he wants from the offense.

Golesh has also expressed confidence in Brown's development heading into the season, saying he has seen the quarterback become increasingly comfortable in both the passing and rushing portions of the offense. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean Auburn is ready to compete with the SEC's best.

The Tigers start the season with one of the biggest games of Week 1. They take on the Baylor Bears on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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