Look, if you’re searching for who won the auburn football game, you’re probably feeling a mix of frustration and "here we go again." To give it to you straight: the last time Auburn took the field for a football game was the 2025 Iron Bowl on November 29, and they lost to Alabama 27-20.
It was a heartbreaker. Honestly.
The Tigers finished the 2025 season with a 5-7 record. Because they didn't hit that 6-win threshold, there was no bowl game this year. No post-Christmas trip to Shreveport or Birmingham. Just a long, quiet winter on the Plains while the coaching staff tries to figure out how to bridge the gap between "almost winning" and actually closing out games in the SEC.
The Iron Bowl Heartbreak: A Breakdown of the Last Game
The November 29th matchup against Alabama was basically a microcosm of the entire season. Auburn trailed 17-6 at the half. It looked like it was going to be a blowout in Jordan-Hare. Then, the third quarter happened.
Ashton Daniels scrambled—something he’s gotten pretty good at—and found Malcolm Simmons for a massive 64-yard touchdown. The stadium went nuts. The Jungle was alive. By the fourth quarter, Jeremiah Cobb punched in a 2-yard run to tie the game at 20-20.
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You could feel the shift. People were starting to believe.
But then, the flags started flying. Auburn got hit with 10 penalties for 84 yards over the course of the game. Two of those penalties gave Alabama fresh sets of downs on their final game-winning drive. Ty Simpson eventually found Isaiah Horton for a 6-yard touchdown with under four minutes left.
Auburn had one last chance. They drove all the way to the Alabama 20-yard line. Then? A fumble. Game over. 27-20.
Wait, I See a Score from Yesterday?
If you’re seeing news about an Auburn win from January 17, 2026, you’re looking at the basketball court, not the gridiron. The Auburn football game season is over, but Steven Pearl (filling in for Bruce) has the hoop squad grinding.
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Yesterday, January 17, Auburn basketball beat South Carolina 71-67 in a game that was, frankly, kind of ugly to watch at times.
- Filip Jović was the absolute man. He dropped a career-high 23 points.
- The Tigers shot a miserable 2-for-19 from three-point range.
- They won it at the free-throw line, going 23-of-30.
It’s easy to get the two confused if you’re just glancing at a "Tigers Win" headline, but the football pads are put away for now.
Why the 2025 Record is Deceiving
A 5-7 record looks bad on paper. It is bad for a program with Auburn's resources. But if you look at the actual games, the Tigers were surprisingly competitive. They lost to Missouri in double overtime. They lost to Vanderbilt in overtime. They lost a 10-3 defensive slog to Kentucky.
Basically, Auburn was about four or five plays away from being an 8-4 or 9-3 team.
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That doesn't make the losses hurt any less, but it does explain why the vibe around the program isn't total "burn it down" mode yet. Interim coach D.J. Durkin took over mid-season after Hugh Freeze’s departure, and the team actually played harder for him. The defense, in particular, was legitimate. They ranked 34th in the country in points allowed per game (20.7), which is championship-level defense if the offense can just score 24.
What’s Next for Auburn Football?
Since there was no bowl game to settle the score, all eyes are on the transfer portal and the coaching search. You can't stay 5-7 in the new-look SEC and expect to keep the lights on.
The main priority is the quarterback room. Ashton Daniels has the "it" factor when it comes to grit, but the passing game was too inconsistent. They need a deep-ball threat and more discipline on the offensive line to stop those drive-killing penalties.
If you're looking to keep up with the team, keep an eye on the spring practice schedule usually starting in March. That's when we'll see if the "almost" team from 2025 can start turning those close losses into actual wins.
For now, the answer to who won the auburn football game is unfortunately the Crimson Tide, but the cycle starts over soon enough.
Keep an eye on the recruiting rankings over the next month. Auburn has been hovering in the top 10 for the 2026 class, which is the only real way to fix the depth issues that plagued them during those fourth-quarter collapses last November.