One of the SEC's great programs is in need of a reboot, and Paul Finebaum thinks they may have something special brewing in 2026.
It’s a new day, again, at Auburn as one of the SEC’s great programs looks to finally get back on track and compete for attention in college football’s deepest conference and try to stake a claim on one of those 12 national playoff spots. That’s been a pipe dream in recent seasons, as Auburn trudged through one five- or six-win campaign after another, not winning 10 games since 2017, and cycling through failed coaches like Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze.
Auburn boasts a meager 27-35 record over the last five seasons, losing seven games in each of those years, and winning just 11 games in SEC competition in that span. But this could be the moment when things turn around on The Plains after bringing on Alex Golesh as head coach, according to veteran SEC observer Paul Finebaum.
“I think this program, more than anything, needed a reboot,” Finebaum said. “I know a lot of people were upset, ‘Why didn’t Auburn keep Cam Coleman?’ Sometimes, you have to sweep out the place, to clean it up, and I think the fact that Golesh ended up with his quarterback is the most important thing.”, carving a sizable hole in the Auburn offense, but the inbound transfer of quarterback Byrum Brown could make up for it.
Brown had 3,158 passing yards with 28 touchdowns a year ago playing for Golesh at USF, and totaled over 1,000 yards rushing with another 14 touchdowns on the ground. His reunion with his coach at one of the SEC’s most prestigious outfits could bode very well for a program in need of a new start. Installing an accurate passer who can also dictate games with his legs is exactly the recipe an Auburn offense that has struggled in recent years has needed. “I think Byrum Brown is going to be one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC. I’ve seen him play. I think he can play at any level,” Finebaum noted.
The month of October will prove decisive for Auburn, facing critical conference matchups against Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. What happens there will likely determine the general thrust of Auburn’s inaugural season with Golesh at the helm, and Finebaum thinks the ingredients are in place.
“I just think there’s a new spirit at Auburn. That happens every time you get a new coach. I heard the same thing with Harsin, the same thing with Freeze,” he said. He added: “This time, though, it feels real. It doesn’t feel manufactured, it doesn’t feel like somebody trying to sell me a used car, it feels like this program is finally heading toward the right track.”
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024. Three Things We Learned From Saturday's College Football Spring Games: Keelon Russell Intrigues at AlabamaPaul Finebaum Names SEC Program That's 'Definitely' a Playoff Team in 2026
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