CBS Sports projects Auburn football's bowl drought to end in 2026

It has been two seasons since the Auburn Tigers earned a bowl invitation. Could Alex Golesh end the trend in his first season?

CBS Sports believes Golesh and the Tigers will right the ship in 2026 and earn a bowl bid since the 2023 season, when it lost to Maryland in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports carefully evaluated each team's incoming freshmen and transfers, and how they fit into their respective depth charts. Using that information, Crawford pieced together an early look at the College Football Playoff and bowl picture for the 2026 season. In his early projections, Crawford pairs the Auburn Tigers with the Virginia Cavaliers in the Gasparilla Bowl, which is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 19, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Virginia Cavaliers are one of college football's rising programs. The Cavaliers competed in their first bowl game under head coach Tony Elliot in 2025, defeating Missouri in the Gator Bowl, 13-7. Virginia was also on the verge of making the College Football Playoffs last season; however, it suffered a tough loss to the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Championship Game, knocking them out of contention.

Auburn football has produced identical 5-7 records in the last two seasons and will look to earn a bowl bid in Alex Golesh's first season as head coach. The Tigers have appeared in 47 bowl games in their history, and are on a four-game skid in bowl season, having not won a postseason game since the 2018 Music City Bowl, when they crushed Purdue, 63-18.