How Much of A Threat is Auburn to Ole Miss in 2026?
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As the upcoming 2026 season draws nearer, the Ole Miss Rebels finds themselves entering into a different era, having parted ways with coach Lane Kiffin and now under the leadership of Pete Golding.
Ole Miss continues to be among the most gifted squads in the conference; however, as their road becomes ever more perilous in the SEC, one of the hurdles that stands in front of them is Auburn.
On paper, however, Ole Miss is going into 2026 with high hopes. The Rebels just came off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance and have kept many of the players that made them one of the best teams in the country. Preseason predictions still have Ole Miss among the best of the SEC despite the change in coaching staff.
Don't overlook Auburn
The Tigers are heading into 2026 with a new coach, Alex Golesh, after the change in their coaching staff near the end of 2025. While coaching changes tend to bring about some level of uncertainty, they can also lead to quick development, especially now, when it comes to the transfer portal era. Auburn is still blessed with all the recruitment potential it once had.
One factor that makes Auburn particularly dangerous is timing. The Tigers will host several key SEC games before welcoming Ole Miss to Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 31. By that point, Golesh's system should be more established, and Auburn could be playing its best football of the season. Jordan-Hare has long been one of the conference's most difficult road environments, and Ole Miss has experienced firsthand how unpredictable Auburn can be at home.
Nevertheless, Auburn faces significant challenges. The Tigers must adapt to a new coaching staff while working around the SEC's first season with a nine-game conference schedule. Their slate includes road trips to Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama.
It is possible that Auburn is not the biggest challenge for Ole Miss on their schedule. There will be more playoff implications in matches against LSU, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma. Some experts believe that these are the games where Ole Miss is challenged the most in returning to the College Football Playoff.
Jordan-Hare is a scary October visit
That said, Auburn certainly has the ability to be the kind of team that ends up ruining any chance for a team's championship hopes. While the Tigers might not come into the season with the same amount of expectation on them as Ole Miss does, the Tigers have plenty of ability to pull off an upset if Ole Miss is not playing its best game.
The bottom line is that Auburn is definitely not the favored team going into this game against Ole Miss in 2026. Auburn has enough players and a very interesting head coach in order to make this the most dangerous trap game on the Rebels' schedule. In order for Ole Miss to stay in the playoff discussion, it must not overlook Auburn.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as How Much of A Threat is Auburn to Ole Miss in 2026?.
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