Auburn travels to Ole Miss in Week 9 for one of its toughest games of the 2026 season. With SEC and College Football Playoff implications potentially on the line, Alex Golesh's Tigers will look to pull off a signature road upset in Oxford.
The Auburn Tigers football season can't come soon enough.
As exciting as the offseason has been on the Plains with the arrival of Alex Golesh as head coach, multiple big-time transfers from the portal, and the momentum growing from the upcoming 2027 recruiting class, nothing beats the opening kickoff.
As we patiently wait for September 5 to roll around, Auburn Roundtable has launched an Offseason Opponent Preview for the Tigers upcoming season. Over the next few weeks, we will break down each one of Auburn's games on the schedule.
Let's get to it.
Week 9: October 31, 2026, Early Time Window
Auburn at Ole Miss
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
Auburn finishes its toughest stretch of the schedule in Oxford against Ole Miss, which reached the College Football Playoffs last season. A ton of upside and high expectations for the Rebels this season, in a game where conference championship and CFP aspirations will likely be up for grabs.
Past History with Ole Miss: Although Ole Miss has won the last two games against Auburn, this series heavily favors the Tigers. Auburn is 35-12 all-time against the Rebels dating back to 1928. The two squads last met in 2023 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with Ole Miss winning 28-21. Auburn's last win in Oxford was in 2020.
Ole Miss Snapshot: Head coach and quarterback will be the main storylines entering the season. Pete Golding takes over as the full-time head coach after coaching inside the College Football Playoffs last season following the departure of Lane Kiffin. He had quite a bit to accomplish this offseason, replacing a good amount of turnover, mainly heading to LSU. He did get a major win when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was awarded another year of eligibility after winning his court case. He is viewed as one of the best signal callers in the country.
Key Matchups: Former Auburn defensive back Jay Crawford is now playing for Ole Miss. Watching him compete against the new wide receiver room will definitely be one to pay attention to.
Interesting Storyline to Watch: Could this be a trap game for Ole Miss? The Rebels are clearly viewed as a strong favorite to find themselves in the College Football Playoffs, but the timing of the game against Auburn could be an advantage for the Tigers. Ole Miss has to play Texas on the road before hosting Auburn, and then immediately has to play the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners in back-to-back weeks. Based on Auburn's last few seasons, they may overlook them to close out October.
Game Importance Ranking: When considering the 12-game schedule as a whole, this feels like the 8th most important game of the season. Similar to the Georgia game, I don't think anyone is predicting Auburn to win this game before we see how Golesh and his new roster play this year, so falling in Oxford wouldn't hurt your resume as a first-year coach one bit. However, if you win, it could certainly change the entire national perspective.
What's Next: The Auburn Tigers will head back home to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on November 7.
Be sure to check out Auburn Roundtable for more Offseason Opponent Previews as well as other original content daily.
