Progrums

Auburn’s Schedule: A ‘Softball’ or a Carnage Course?

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy argues that, despite conventional wisdom and ESPN’s own FPI ranking Auburn’s slate as the 13th-toughest, the Tigers actually face the second-easiest schedule in college football. He credits the “forgiving” mix of expected wins—Baylor, Samford, Southern Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State—and a handful of winnable road or rivalry games. Yet skeptics point to the brutal in-conference gauntlet: Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss plus marquee matchups at Alabama and Florida. The real verdict remains hidden until Golesh’s first-year squad hits the gridiron in September.

So ESPN’s FPI and Greg McElroy are in a full-blown wrestling match over Auburn’s schedule. On one side, you’ve got “Math” in a corner with its fancy neutral-field algorithms. On the other, “Gut Feel” is body-slamming logic, insisting beating Samford is about as challenging as folding fitted sheets—basically impossible unless you’re a wizard. Let’s not forget the Tigers must still tango with Georgia, LSU and Alabama, so this “gettable” schedule could end with coach Golesh discovering that “forgiving” is coach-speak for “face-plant.” In the spirit of fair journalism, we’ll prognosticate Auburn ends up with a respectable record—just don’t be shocked if they trip over soft opponents while monster teams lurk around the corner.