What would make Alex Golesh's first season with Auburn football a success? Mike Gittens says it's 8-4 or bust for the Tigers in 2026, explaining why Byrum Brown, Auburn's schedule and expectations surrounding Golesh's offense make eight wins a realistic goal.
How quickly does Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers have to succeed as a program?
After two failed coaching regimes of Brian Harsin and Hugh Freeze, Alex Golesh takes over the reins with high expectations, in hopes of becoming at least bowl-eligible in his first season on the Plains.
However, picking up just six wins and making it to a bowl game might not be enough for Auburn fans. In fact, winning seven games might not even be seen as a successful season based on the team's current schedule.
Of course, nobody expects this team to go 12-0 and compete for a national championship in the first season of a new coaching regime, but what would be considered a successful year?
Well, in a recent interview on Auburn Daily, Mike Gittens made a bold statement, saying it's 8-4 or bust.
In a discussion with Kyle Rush on the Top Button podcast, Gittens explained his reasoning that the Tigers must win 8 of their regular-season games in order to see enough progress for him to be excited about the future of Auburn football.
Based on how other teams are viewed this season inside the conference, that record is actually quite expected. "At seven and five, even if you beat somebody you weren't supposed to, at 7-5, you either lost every game you were not favored in or you lost a game you had no business losing or multiple games," said Gittens.
Most sportsbooks tend to agree; there are not 5 games on the schedule where the Tigers should be seen as the underdog, making the 8-4 expectation quite realistic.
If it sounds like too much to ask, you might just be being a little too pessimistic based on the last few seasons on the Plains, but this isn't the same coaching regime or offense for the Tigers in 2026. Gittens continued with, "I think a lot of people are setting their barometer based on what Freeze failed to do the last three years, which was essentially have a winning season."
Despite the talent, Freeze was fired before he could finish his third season, mostly because his scheme wasn't successful; that's something that shouldn't be an issue for Alex Golesh. His fast-paced offense was very successful while at South Florida and should translate well to the SEC.
Him bringing a large amount of talent with him from South Florida is also very telling. Players such as Byrum Brown have one season of eligibility remaining, and they are looking to make this year just a rebuilding year.
"Golesh did not have seven and five in mind when he said, 'I'm going to bring Byrum Brown knowing that I'm probably going to lose these other quarterbacks.'" Gittens is referring to quarterbacks Ashton Daniels, who is starting at Florida State, and Deuce Knight, a highly touted prospect who transferred to Ole Miss this past offseason.
If Auburn goes 8-4, the future is certainly bright for the program, but if they fail to reach that mark, fans might still be itching for more.
