Auburn Featured in Latest College Football Playoff Bracketology

The other three squads featured in the “First Four Out” are No. 12 Illinois, No. 23 Texas Tech, and No. 15 Florida, making Auburn the only school to crack that particular section that was not ranked in the preseason AP Poll. Obviously, Auburn fans hope their team doesn’t finish in that category come December, but to be mentioned in the discussion this early in the season is viewed as a positive.

Although they have plenty of miscues to clean up before they head to Norman for their SEC opener against Oklahoma later this month, the Tigers seem to have had a significant impact on the national landscape and narratives with their 38-24 win over Baylor.

Auburn ran all over the Bears last week, recording 307 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to lift the Tigers to a 1-0 start. Quarterback Jackson Arnold stands as the SEC’s leading rusher after the opening weekend, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns in his promising Auburn debut. The Tigers’ veteran offensive line also performed exceptionally well – something Auburn fans haven’t witnessed in many years. 

Some have expressed pending uncertainties with the passing game, which fans didn’t see much of on Friday due to an electric rushing attack. Arnold only went 11-of-17 for 108 yards through the air, and sophomore phenom Cam Coleman hauled in just one reception for 23 yards. However, contrary to skeptics’ concerns about the passing attack, Auburn didn’t exactly need to utilize it. 

The rushing game with Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb , and Arnold proved to be dominant against the Bears’ defensive front, causing Hugh Freeze and company to stick with the successful option. The few times Arnold did throw the ball to Auburn’s elite arsenal of wide receivers – like the 23-yard pass to Coleman and 26-yard dime to Malcolm Simmons down the seam, for example – demonstrated his promising arm on a multitude of occasions. It’s not that the Tigers were unsuccessful through the air; Auburn just didn’t feel the need to change what was consistently working offensively.

Entering the season, there were mixed reactions and feelings surrounding Auburn and its ability to return to the national stage. Everyone seems to recognize the Tigers’ star-studded roster and elite transfer portal additions, and some even predicted them to be a dark horse for a potential College Football Playoff spot, but many weren’t fully sold until they showed it on the field.

Well, Auburn looks to have made progress in proving itself on Friday. Sure, the Tigers’ defense has mistakes to fix before conference play begins, and Baylor isn’t equivalent to the caliber of most teams they will face in the SEC, but the win displayed their ability to execute on crucial plays in important moments. Auburn has had issues with finishing games a countless number of times in the past few years, but the Tigers could boast the squad they need to flip the script in 2025.

This likely does not come as a surprise to Freeze, as he has expressed his confidence in his new team numerous times over the offseason.

The third-year head coach spoke on a potential College Football Playoff run at SEC Media Days in July, describing this team’s ceiling as “limitless” and not shying away from Auburn’s high expectations.

“I truly believe that in the playoff run, we're going to be in this discussion because I love this team,” Freeze said to the media in Atlanta last month. “I think we had – now, we've got to stay healthy and we need the ball to bounce our way a couple times this year instead of against us, I'm sure, but that's our full expectation. We embrace the fact that that is what Auburn should be, in those talks year in, year out.”