Auburn hasn't beaten Georgia in Athens since 2005, and the Bulldogs have won 9 straight in this series — the longest active run in the rivalry's history. Alex Golesh's first trip to Sanford Stadium isn't going to be the one that snaps it, but this year's Auburn team looks different enough to at least make it interesting.
Bush’s Picks
AUBUGA
AUBUGA
OverUnder
Best BetGeorgia
Georgia's continuity at quarterback and up front on defense makes this an easy lean even before factoring in the 9-game series streak. Auburn's ceiling is tied to how fast Golesh's new offense gels, and that's not a bet worth making against a Playoff-level roster in Athens. Back the Bulldogs to win outright.
Auburn
+Byrum Brown adds 14 rushing TDs worth of dual-threat value
+DJ Durkin's defense returns after finishing 29th nationally
+Golesh, Brown share history in same offensive system
−0-9 in the last 9 meetings, winless in Athens since 2005
−Lost top two receivers, Coleman and Singleton, to the portal
−First-year staff installing a new offense on the road
Georgia
+Gunner Stockton returns with 24 TDs, only 5 INTs in 2025
+8 returning starters make the defense a projected top unit
+Nate Frazier staying keeps the run game intact
−No proven alpha receiver after four pass-catchers departed
−Must replace NFL-bound left tackle Monroe Freeling
−Playoff-level expectations bring pressure every week
This is a program-defining stretch for both sides. Georgia enters the year firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation, and Auburn is starting over with a new coaching staff trying to prove last year's overhaul wasn't just noise. Golesh's up-tempo system was the headline hire of the offseason, and Athens is as brutal a road test as it gets for a first-year staff still figuring out its identity.
Byrum Brown is the engine for whatever Auburn wants to become. He posted 14 rushing touchdowns last season and brings three years in Golesh's scheme from their time together, which matters given how much the Tigers are installing from scratch. The bigger question is what's left in the passing game — Auburn lost both of its top perimeter threats in Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton to the portal, so Brown's supporting cast is largely unproven heading into SEC play.
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AUB Auburn
UGA Georgia
Georgia's calling card is continuity. Gunner Stockton is back for his second full year as the starter after throwing for just under 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions in 2025, and he added almost 500 yards and 10 more scores on the ground. Keeping Nate Frazier in the backfield gives the Bulldogs a real answer if the passing attack needs time to find its footing, which matters more than usual this year.
The one soft spot on Georgia's roster is at receiver. Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and tight end Oscar Delp are all gone, and nobody in the current room has stepped up as the alpha target Stockton leaned on last season. Georgia also has to replace left tackle Monroe Freeling, though four returning starters up front should soften that blow.
Auburn Tigers
Oct 2?@ Tennessee—
Sep 25?vs Vanderbilt—
Sep 19?vs Florida—
Sep 12?vs Southern Miss—
Sep 5?vs Baylor—
Georgia Bulldogs
Oct 9?@ Alabama—
Oct 2?vs Vanderbilt—
Sep 25?vs Oklahoma—
Sep 19?@ Arkansas—
Sep 12?vs Western Kentucky—
Sep 5?vs Tennessee State—
Recent form.
Where this game tends to get decided is defense, and both sides have real ones. Georgia is bringing back 8 starters on that side of the ball and should again be one of the best units in the country. Auburn isn't far behind — DJ Durkin stays on as defensive coordinator after the Tigers finished 29th nationally in total defense last season, which gives Golesh's offense some margin for error while it grows into the system.
Nine straight losses is a streak that eventually has to break, and this Auburn team at least has a mobile quarterback and a competent defense to lean on if things get tight. But asking a first-year staff to end a 20-year Athens drought against a Playoff-caliber roster is a lot to ask in October.
