Auburn football can't stay this bad, right? Why we're buying stock in Alex Golesh

Toppmeyer shares some details of his offseason visit to Auburn, and Cole details the mood of the fanbase, and he also explains why quarterback Byrum Brown's ability couldn't be judged properly from Auburn's spring game.

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Also in this episode, Auburn center Cole Best, in an interview with Toppmeyer, shares a revealing conversation he had with Brown that pulls back the curtain on how Auburn’s quarterback wins support and respect from his teammates.

So, new coach, new quarterback, new offense, even a new mantra.

New results? Let's discuss:

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Are we buying, selling or holding stock in Auburn football?

Cole: I’d buy it. I would. There’s just something about Golesh.

Harsin didn't fit Auburn. Freeze seemed like he fit, but his best days already were behind him by the time he got to Auburn, and he could never get the quarterbacks going.

Hiring Golesh is a move toward a younger, up-and-coming coach who’s not going to be outworked by anyone. Golesh brought in a lot of USF transfers who’ll have familiarity with him and his system. That includes Brown, a pivotal piece of the rebuild.

Auburn still attracts talent. Freeze signed some good recruiting classes, but he didn't do enough with the talent. I think Golesh will get more out of an Auburn roster than his two predecessors.

In Year 1, bowl expectations are reasonable. If we’re stretching this outlook out over a few years, I’d be comfortable buying stock now.

Toppmeyer: Before we talk football, let’s talk stocks. I like buying into good companies that are trading at a bargain price.

That brings us to Auburn. I still believe Auburn football is a solid company, long-term, but after five years of bruising results, it’s trading at a value price.

Buy low, sell high. That’s basic investment strategy. I’m buying in.

Golesh cannot fare worse than his two predecessors, right?

Tennessee’s best season under Josh Heupel came with Golesh as its offensive coordinator, in 2022. Heupel deserves a lot of credit. So does Hendon Hooker. But, at least a bit of the credit ought to go to Golesh. Later, as a head coach, he accelerated USF.

Undeniably, it’s a big step up from the American Conference to the SEC. Also, the up-tempo spread offense Auburn will operate under Golesh is not as revolutionary within the SEC as it was four or five years ago. Defenses are more familiar with defending this system. But, Golesh is a nimble offensive mind who’ll adjust where necessary, and he’s developing as a program builder. Unlike Freeze, Golesh’s career is ascending, and his best achievements occurred more recently than a decade ago.

Plus, although I don’t expect Auburn to keep up dollar-for-dollar with the likes of Ohio State, Texas and other top spenders, Auburn’s investment is strong enough to expect much more than the 27-35 record Harsin and Freeze combined to produce.

Would I predict Golesh will deliver a national championship? No, but I’d say that for a lot of his SEC peers, too.

I would buy into him accelerating the program in ways Freeze and Harsin couldn’t. I'd also pick him to end Auburn’s Iron Bowl losing streak, although maybe not this season.

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Adam Cole is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buy stock in Auburn football under Alex Golesh? Here's why answer is yes