The Auburn Express

NIL was supposed to close the gap, but it’s only widened it, unless you’ve got a Texas Tech–style donor. We break down why athletic departments now need cap management and dozens of new jobs. We also explain why an offensive line this bad means several departments failed at once. Then it’s Super Chats: trenches before QB, whether it’s time to play the backup quarterback, and Byron Brown having nearly as many carries as every running back combined. We talk about being in “disappointed dad mode,” and why Alex Golesh has already done more with less than the previous two coaches. We also ask whether the O-line coach was ever given his guys, how this echoes the Harsin situation, and whether Dave Aranda’s availability puts DJ Durkin on notice. We finish with our Ole Miss prediction. Subscribe to The Auburn Express TV, powered by The War Rapport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How well run an organization is Auburn? We start with the Patriots model of development over overpaying. Then we turn to Auburn basketball’s eligibility situation and the questions it raises about compliance, oversight, and checks and balances. We compare it to the NCAA holding Bruce Pearl responsible years ago. Then we bring it back to football: how did Auburn get outbid by Kentucky for three offensive linemen, and how much was the difference? We dig into why NIL valuations and actual contracts are so cloudy, whether the NIL clearinghouse is doing anything, and why the market might be self-regulating. We also use Cam Coleman’s deal at Texas as an example of what happens when one big contract resets the market. Subscribe to The Auburn Express TV, powered by The War Rapport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Super Chats take over! Is 8-4 realistic? Is 9-3 even possible? We explain why most fans should be satisfied if Auburn takes care of Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Samford, and why our bar for real excitement is still eight wins, not seven. Then we take your toughest question: is Joel Gordon a bad play caller, or are his hands tied by an offensive line that can’t run block or pass block? We go through the first portal class to find the actual hits, ask who’s evaluating defensive talent, and look at how roster budgets now work like an NFL salary cap. College football has no draft order, just a bidding war, and that’s why the evaluation process matters so much. Subscribe to The Auburn Express TV, powered by The War Rapport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Win the games you’re supposed to win, steal one nobody expects, and Auburn is on track. But what happens if Ole Miss beats Auburn the way LSU did and the losses start to snowball heading into Arkansas? We talk about the defense under DJ Durkin failing to hold up its end, and the hard personnel lesson Auburn has to learn along the lines. That’s the same lesson that turned Indiana and Kentucky around. We also ask which offensive linemen you want back next year. Then we unpack Alex Golesh’s postgame “walk a mile in my shoes” speech and the undertones about fans and media. We cover the run game moving backward, Jeremiah Cobb not breaking out, the receivers balling, and Elijah Melendez being a bona fide star. Finally: who’s the QB after Byron Brown, and will Auburn spend $4–5 million to get one? Subscribe to The Auburn Express TV, powered by The War Rapport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Ole Miss a must-win for Alex Golesh and Auburn? Mike G is joined by Cierra Clark of SEC Unfiltered and The Cierra Clark Show to break down Auburn’s trip to Oxford. Ole Miss plays without Kewan Lacy and is coming off a close loss at Texas. We look at Trinidad Chambliss as a passer and a red-zone runner, Pete Golding’s inconsistent defense, and the worst run defense in the SEC. That’s why the plan for Auburn is to let Byron Brown run, control the clock, and keep Chambliss on the sideline. After that we preview the rest of the Week 9 slate: Florida vs. Georgia and Florida’s quarterback decision, South Carolina vs. Oklahoma, Mississippi State vs. Texas, and Arkansas vs. Missouri. We also ask whether Texas missing the playoff would make this a failed season for Steve Sarkisian, and whether Kentucky is this year’s Vanderbilt. Can Auburn surprise Ole Miss the way it surprised Georgia? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe to The Auburn Express TV, powered by The War Rapport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices