Auburn Football Ready to Take the Next Step

The Auburn Tigers suffered close losses in too many games in 2023.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne and his team can change their mentality if they get over the hump. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

While 2023 remains fresh in Auburn's memory, the past needs equal parts forget and review. To make the long journey back to prominence, the Tigers need to defeat a team with a winning record. Granted, that take sounds rather basic and self-explanatory. 

Yet it underscores a desperate need for any program looking to play in the new 12-team tournament. Auburn needs those wins for a multitude of reasons including the confidence that comes with winning. Below, a few reasons why finally defeating a winning FBS team helps.

9/24/2022

On this date, almost two years ago, Auburn defeated a Power Five (now four) school with a winning record. Yes, California did enter their 2023 tilt at 1-0, but that win arrived at the hands of North Texas. That day, the Tigers sent Missouri back across the Mississippi with a 17-14 defeat. 

In the last 1,260 football minutes, Auburn failed to defeat a single P5 team with a winning record. In their defense, the SEC does not make anything any easier on them. The rigorous week-to-week grind does wear teams out. However, in that same time frame, the team dropped five games to ranked teams by seven points or less. Good teams find a way. With a fairly balanced schedule, Auburn can quickly erase that mark, and lay that statistic to rest.

Why It Matters

Unlike previous seasons where four teams could play for a national title, 2024 starts the era of 12. Not saying that Auburn will contend for a championship this year. At the same time, you never know what fortuitous bounces of the ball could change a season. 

Hovering just outside of that final 12 would benefit the program. Recruits could envision themselves as the ones to get the Tigers over the hump. Similarly, transfer portal players could imagine themselves playing a similar role on The Plains. A strong showing versus good teams not only helps the team this season, but for years to come. The butterfly effect in college football stays undefeated. 

Home Cookin'

Luckily for Auburn, they will host four Power Five schools on The Plains this fall. As a result, the chances of grabbing a win remain rather high. From a talent standpoint, this version of the team sits light years ahead of the 2023 version. 

Moreover, after getting a feel for the talent, Hugh Freeze will look to take a more aggressive tact. In golf parlance, instead of laying up, he will go for it. With that, one or more of these visiting squads need to not only execute but silence the raucous 88,403 in attendance. 

The chances of a winless Auburn while facing better programs at home feel rather long. Simple execution and playing off that homefield energy could carry the team to multiple home wins, which make the late-season games that much more important.