Despite having what many consider to be the best win in football this year over Georgia, the Auburn Tigers have struggled in the games since, dropping to both LSU and Ole Miss by over 20 points each. The Tigers now stand at 4-4 on the season, 2-4 in the SEC, but the latest SEC Power Rankings were not particularly kind to Alex Golesh’s group.

According to Austin Nivison of CBS Sports, the Tigers rank 12th out of 16 teams in the SEC at this point in the season, though their ranking went notably unchanged despite a blowout loss to Ole Miss. 

“In the two weeks since beating the Bulldogs, Auburn has lost both of its games by a combined 51 points,” Nivison wrote. “But there is great news for the Tigers. They get a soft landing spot this weekend as they host Arkansas. A win in that game virtually guarantees Alex Golesh bowl eligibility in his first season on the job because Auburn has a game against FCS Samford later this month.”

And a win in that game, at the current moment, seems probable for the Tigers, who are 10.5-point favorites with approximately an 80% chance to take down Ryan Silverfield’s squad, according to ESPN’s FPI. 

The Razorbacks stand at No. 15 in the same power rankings, unchanged from last week after their loss to Missouri. The only team below Arkansas is Vanderbilt, which represents the Razorbacks’ only SEC win this season so far, and Auburn will not be looking to hand them another one on Saturday.

At this point in the season, it is likely too late for the Tigers to make a push back up the rankings, as their only remaining opponents are Arkansas, Mississippi State (which is ranked No. 14), Samford and Alabama, and only a win over the latter of the group would even potentially make a case for a rise in the rankings for the Tigers.

However, as Nivison mentioned, bowl eligibility is far from out of reach for the Tigers, who could punch their postseason ticket with wins over Arkansas and Mississippi State, though having Samford on standby is a nice cushion in case of another rough showing from the Tigers.

The Tigers haven’t been bowl-eligible since 2023, so finding a way into the postseason would be a great way to kick off Alex Golesh’s tenure, even if his team hasn’t made a push into the top of the power rankings this year.