College football analyst blames Auburn leadership for loss to Florida

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While the Ole Miss-LSU game dominated the college football Week 3 spotlight Saturday night, another SEC matchup also drew plenty of attention. The Auburn Tigers hosted the Florida Gators in a battle between two programs looking to build on their renewed direction following the 2026 coaching cycle.

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall was closely linked to Auburn before ultimately taking the job in Gainesville. Auburn, of course, hired Alex Golesh as the 30th head coach in program history. However, Sumrall’s Gators put on a masterclass against Golesh’s Tigers.

One prominent college football analyst believes the loss falls on Auburn’s leadership, specifically athletic director John Cohen. Paul Finebaum blasted Cohen for letting his ego get in the way of hiring Sumrall.

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“I still like Alex Golesh a lot, but I blame John Cohen, the athletic director, for this loss. This game was lost on Thanksgiving weekend in 2025 when John Cohen’s massive ego got in the way of hiring Jon Sumrall. It should’ve been done, he intended to do it, every Auburn fan was expecting it.” Finebaum said.

The Plains Envious of The Swamp?

There’s no doubt that Auburn fans were heavily invested in acquiring Sumrall. Ultimately, the decision may have come down more to finances than anything else, which wouldn’t be surprising.

Sumrall did excellent work at nearby Troy University, leading the program to two bowl appearances in as many years. He then took Tulane to the College Football Playoff. Needless to say, he was one of the hottest names in the coaching cycle.

However, while it’s debatable whether Cohen didn’t want to hire Sumrall, one thing isn’t: Auburn has long had a leadership problem.

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That issue hasn’t been limited to the university level, either. It has also included meddling boosters who have struggled to stay in their lane. Auburn has long lacked a clear voice of leadership within its football program.

The Tigers might have found one in Hugh Freeze, but the results on the field never made that leadership impactful. Bryan Harsin never seemed to have a real opportunity to establish himself. Perhaps the last true leader the school had was Gus Malzahn.

Since letting Malzahn go, Auburn has continued searching for an answer. Sumrall was a strong candidate to fill that void most recently.

The Golesh era is off to a better start than not through three weeks, but after Saturday’s loss, perhaps The Plains are looking across the SEC at The Swamp and wondering: What if?

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