The Tigers have fallen short of expectations early in Alex Golesh’s first season, but there is still plenty to play for as they prepare for Georgia.

Five games into the season, Auburn sits at 3-2, and it is hard to say this is the start fans were hoping for.

There have been some good moments. Auburn escaped Baylor with a one-point win, handled Southern Miss and found a way to beat Vanderbilt. But losses to Florida and Tennessee have exposed some familiar problems, leaving the Tigers with plenty of questions heading into the second half of the season.

The offense has struggled to find consistency, Byrum Brown is still adjusting to SEC defenses, and now Auburn will be without one of its best defensive players against Georgia.

The bye week gave the Tigers some time to regroup, but the schedule isn’t getting any easier. Auburn travels to Athens this weekend to face the Bulldogs, and while the season isn’t over, the Tigers have a lot of work to do.

The offense is still the biggest problem

For years, Auburn’s struggles to win games have often started with a subpar offense. Whether it has been inconsistent quarterback play, an inability to establish the run or an offensive line that can’t protect the quarterback, the Tigers have repeatedly found themselves struggling to put enough points on the board.

This season has been no different.

Despite the optimism surrounding Golesh’s arrival and the reunion with his former South Florida quarterback, Auburn hasn’t looked like the offensive team many expected through five games.

Slow starts have become a recurring problem. Against Florida and Tennessee, the Tigers struggled to find their rhythm early, forcing themselves to play catch-up. Even when the offense has shown flashes of what it can be, those moments haven’t been consistent enough to make up for the mistakes.

The running game has been up and down, the offensive line has struggled with pressure, and the Tigers have had too many drives end without putting points on the board.

That brings us to Brown.

Brown has to take another step forward

There was plenty of excitement surrounding Brown when he followed Golesh to Auburn. His production at South Florida gave fans a reason to believe he could help turn the offense around.

In 2025, Brown threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for another 1,008 yards and 14 scores. Those are the kinds of numbers that naturally raise expectations, especially when a quarterback is reunited with the coach who knows him best.

But the jump to the SEC has been a difficult one.

Through five games, Brown has thrown for 1,055 yards and seven touchdowns while recording seven interceptions. He has also been sacked 18 times, and his passing production has dropped over Auburn’s last two games.

Brown has still shown what makes him dangerous. His ability to run the football gives Auburn another dimension, and his 107 rushing yards against Tennessee showed that he can still make plays even when the passing game isn’t clicking.

The problem is that Auburn needs more than flashes.

Brown has to get better at recognizing pressure, making decisions and protecting the football. Seven interceptions through five games is simply too many, especially when the offense is already struggling to sustain drives.

At the same time, it would be unfair to put everything on the quarterback. The offensive line has to give him more time, and the running game needs to become something Auburn can depend on. The coaching staff also has to find ways to put Brown in better situations.

If Auburn wants to turn its season around, the offense has to improve as a whole.

Xavier Atkins’ absence adds another concern

The offense isn’t Auburn’s only concern heading into Georgia.

The Tigers will be without linebacker Xavier Atkins for Saturday’s game after Golesh announced that Atkins would be unavailable. Golesh declined to provide further details, saying the matter would remain in-house, and his status beyond the Georgia game remains uncertain.

Atkins has been one of Auburn’s most important defensive players. Through five games, he has recorded 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception.

Losing a player with that kind of production is a significant blow, especially against a Georgia team that can challenge defenses physically and run the football effectively.

Auburn’s defense has given the team reasons to be encouraged this season, but it hasn’t been perfect. Tennessee found success on the ground in the second half of its win over the Tigers, and the defense will need to respond against another difficult opponent.

The absence of Atkins puts even more responsibility on the rest of the linebacker room. Auburn will need other players to step up if it hopes to slow down Georgia’s offense.

The focus now has to be on building for the future

With only two losses through five games, Auburn isn’t out of the SEC Championship or College Football Playoff picture just yet. The SEC has been unpredictable this season, with plenty of teams capable of beating one another, so there’s still a path for the Tigers if things start falling their way.

But realistically, it would take a serious turnaround, and based on what we’ve seen through the first five games, that’s difficult to envision right now.

Auburn has too many problems to solve on offense, and until the Tigers show they can consistently move the football against SEC defenses, it’s hard to see them making the kind of run they’d need. The talent is there, but the execution hasn’t matched it.

That doesn’t mean the season is over or that fans should give up on this team. There’s still plenty to play for, even if the preseason goals are becoming harder to reach.

The way Auburn finishes this season matters. Continued improvement from Brown and the rest of the offense could give the Tigers something to build on heading into next year. Staying competitive against the tougher teams on the schedule would also help maintain morale in the locker room and give the coaching staff something positive to sell on the recruiting trail.

Auburn might not be where it hoped to be five games into the season, but there’s still an opportunity to make progress. The Tigers need to show that progress now, starting with a difficult trip to Georgia.

Golesh deserves time

There are already Auburn fans who have started to question whether Golesh is the right person to lead the program.

I understand the frustration. Auburn fans have heard promises about turning things around before, and patience is becoming a difficult thing to ask for when the results haven’t matched the expectations.

But I don’t believe five games are enough to give up on Golesh.

The expectations surrounding his arrival were massive. He came to Auburn with a reputation for building productive offenses, and bringing Brown with him only added to the excitement. Fans expected to see an immediate improvement, and when that hasn’t happened, disappointment was inevitable.

Still, I believe Golesh is a good coach who can succeed in this league. That doesn’t mean he should be above criticism, and it certainly doesn’t mean the offensive struggles should be ignored. He and his staff have to find answers, and the results eventually have to show that the program is moving forward.

But building a consistent winner in the SEC takes more than five games.

Golesh needs time to develop his players, improve the roster and establish the kind of consistency Auburn has lacked for years. The frustration is understandable, especially for fans who feel like they have been waiting forever for this program to get back to where it belongs.

I know most Auburn fans are tired of hearing about patience. They want to see results, and they have every right to expect better football.

But there is a difference between demanding improvement and deciding a coach has failed before he has had a real opportunity to build something.

Auburn still has something to play for

Saturday’s trip to Georgia will be a difficult test, especially with Atkins unavailable and the offense still searching for answers.

Auburn doesn’t need to pretend everything is fine. The Tigers haven’t played well enough to meet expectations, and the problems that have followed this program for years are still showing up.

But the season isn’t over, and neither is the opportunity to make progress.

The SEC Championship and playoff picture may look bleak, but Auburn can still improve, compete and give its fans reasons to believe in what comes next.

For that to happen, the offense has to take a step forward, Brown has to become more consistent, and the coaching staff has to find ways to get more out of this roster.

The next few weeks won’t erase the disappointing start, but they can tell us a lot about where Auburn is headed.

Five games in, there are plenty of questions. Now it is up to the Tigers to start providing some answers.