Raley Reflections: Auburn needs a fast start before brutal October stretch

It’s finally football season. We’ve made it. Week 0 delivered many highlights, and the excitement has been all there.

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By this time next week, many fans will be waking up thinking one of two things—either that their team is back and they will win the national championship, or this year is going to be another wash and it is time to look forward to 2027. It is the natural emotions of a college football fan.

However, at the end of the day, every college football team is walking into September knowing it has games to play, and no matter the record, each week is a must-win.

Auburn is no exception, and while many people may think the players have not been trying to win over the last few seasons, I doubt they just did not try.

The Tigers always have a difficult schedule on their plate being in the SEC; it is something that is non-negotiable. They will not have an “off week,” even if they are playing a team at the bottom of the league.

Now, we can sit here and debate who has tougher schedules than Auburn. There are some teams that certainly do, but we can all agree that there is toughness with every program in the SEC.

While all of the games are indeed a must-win for Alex Golesh in his first year as the head coach, let me tell you why the September slate especially holds true to that statement. 

Four teams—Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss—stand in the way in October.

I don’t know about you, but when you look at the broad picture of that and say Tennessee might be the “easiest” opponent in that grouping, you certainly have your work cut out for you. Oh, and I forgot to mention, all of those except LSU are on the road.

Most people are likely to pick the Tigers to lose all or three out of the four games in October. Now, the team obviously does not care about what the analysts predict will happen. They do not affect the outcome of the game. The players and coaches do. 

Stealing a game in that stretch is definitely important, yes, but if Auburn wants to stand a chance of getting back to a bowl game, the victories need to happen in September, preferably four of them.

Do not get me wrong, playing Baylor, Southern Miss, Florida and Vanderbilt is not too light of a stretch either, but when everything you have plus more will be tested in the October slate, you have to pull the September games out.

A fast start is what every team dreams of, because it bodes well for what it can do down the road. That is why the Tigers need to place massive importance on going 1-0 in each week of September, because they definitely do not want to walk into Neyland Stadium with an already big chip on their shoulder.

It all starts with Baylor in Atlanta, which is Golesh’s first game as head coach and the team’s first impression to the world. 

Start 4-0, and the feelings about the team heading into October and possibly playing in a bowl game are high. Go into October 2-2, or even 1-3 for that matter, and the worries will become evident from the fanbase.

Those are just my two cents, but what do I know? 

We will all find out together come Saturday.

Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.