ESPN Analyst and former Alabama football quarterback Greg McElroy is all in on Auburn football making a bowl game in year one under Alex Golesh.
Golesh officially became the head coach of the Auburn Tigers in November after three seasons at USF. Auburn lost several close games last year, and McElroy said a few of those could swing Auburn's way this fall.
"The Auburn Tigers lost six one-score games in the SEC last year," McElroy said on ESPN's "Always College Football." "They got sacked nine times by Oklahoma. They lost by six at Texas A&M, and they dropped a double-overtime heartbreaker to Missouri. A 10-3 loss to Kentucky was the last straw, and Hugh Freeze was relieved of his duties. But here's the reason for real optimism on the Plains. Auburn hired one of the most productive offensive minds in the sport in Alex Golesh. And he did not come empty-handed, right? He brought his quarterback, Byron Brown, who last year joined Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, and Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks in the last decade to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. He brought his entire offensive engine with him— five wide receivers, a tight end, a running back, two linemen— all off one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country."
"And Auburn, They've not fielded a top 25 offense in over a decade. Well, that drought is probably about to end. On defense, Golesh probably made the smartest move available. He decided to keep coordinator DJ Durkin, whose unit held up its own even when the offense couldn't really score. That defense, by the way, they kept 5 starters at home as well, headlined by linebacker Xavier Atkins, who's returning as an All-American defender. It's the first one for Auburn that they've had since Takeo Spikes back in 1997. He led the SEC with 17 tackles for loss. The schedule opens up with Baylor in Atlanta on September 5th and then the SEC grind at Tennessee, at Georgia, LSU at home, and at Ole Miss. The Iron Bowl at Alabama will close it out. The toss-ups: Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas at Mississippi State. Those are all winnable. So. this is a bowl team with probably the best offense Auburn has fielded in more than a decade."
Auburn opens the season against Baylor in Atlanta.
