Expert predictions, picks for Florida football at Auburn in Week 3 - Gators Wire

This weekend, Florida football renews its historic rivalry with the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium to open the 2026 SEC schedule. The last time the two schools met on the collegiate gridiron was back in 2019; that was one of only two times they have played in the last two decades.

The Gators are off to a hot start on offense under new head coach Jon Sumrall, having scored 118 points over their first two games, matching the program's most since Urban Meyer's team did it in the first two games of 2009. While the defense still has some headroom to grow, it is a talented corps that should be up for the challenge on Saturday.

The Tigers also have a new skipper in Alex Golesh, who was at the helm of USF last season when the Bulls beat Florida for the first time ever — in the Swamp, no less. Joining him at Auburn is quarterback Byrum Brown, who gave the Gators fits last year and has game-changing potential.

Ahead of the start of SEC play, the Gators Wire staff convened to offer their expert predictions and picks for the Florida-Auburn game. Take a look below at what we had to say.

Florida has spent two weeks doing exactly what a talented SEC team should do against inferior competition, but Auburn is the first opponent that can actually expose whatever weaknesses the Gators have been hiding.

The matchup I’m watching most is Florida’s defensive front against Byrum Brown, who has been Auburn’s best offensive player through two games. His scrambling ability gives the Tigers another way to punish a defense that loses contain. Florida can’t allow him to extend drives with his legs and turn broken plays into chunk gains.

Auburn’s offensive line has been solid inside, but the tackle play hasn’t been nearly as convincing. That should give Florida opportunities to create pressure off the edge and force Brown to win from the pocket, where he has been less effective than he has as a runner. Perhaps another big day from LJ McCray is in store.

On the other side, I still think Florida has too many ways to attack this Auburn defense. The Tigers have generated pressure, but their secondary has surrendered 513 yards through two games and already missed 16 tackles. That’s a dangerous combination against Aaron Philo, Jadan Baugh and a deep receiving room.

Jordan-Hare will create some ugly possessions, and Auburn will have stretches where Brown’s legs give Florida problems. But if the Gators keep him contained and avoid giving away short fields, I think the talent advantage eventually shows.

Through two weeks, the Gators have looked exactly how a talented SEC team should look against inferior competition. You could even argue the last 14 days have been an extension of training camp. It's hard to say if we've learned anything about this Florida squad yet, but one thing is for sure: they'll get punched in the mouth this week and how they respond will tell the story of this season for Jon Sumrall's program.

Saturday's trip to Auburn should provide meaningful insight into the mentality of this group. Florida has put up 118 points through two games — Aaron Philo looks like the unmistakable choice at QB1 and Jadan Baugh is approaching 300 rushing yards, but none of this matters much if the Gators can't replicate that success in a hostile environment. I do believe UF has a talent edge on Auburn, but talent rarely has been the issue over these past four years. Every possession will be pressure-packed, Jordan-Hare will be deafening and Auburn will go on a run at some point in the evening.

I think this is a game where we really see the impact of Buster Faulker and Brad White, particularly on third downs. The Gators will also need to create turnovers. Byrum Brown threw three picks against Baylor, so the Florida secondary should be plenty of chances. Tigers' defensive coordinator DJ Durkin says the team will mix up coverages on Saturday to try and confuse Philo, but I think Faulker uses pre-snap movement to add complexity to the offense and keep the Gators ahead of the sticks.

I'm taking the Gators to force few turnovers to quiet the home crowd and I believe Philo's accuracy and heavy dose of Baugh help Florida outlast Auburn. — Mike Long

The Florida Gators are set to take on the Auburn Tigers in what is going to be the first defining moment in Jon Sumrall’s inaugural SEC game as the coach of UF. This game may be ugly early on, with two unfamiliar faces in SEC football, with Alex Golesh on the other side of Sumrall.

Once again, offense will be at the forefront of this matchup for Florida. In the first two outings this season, the offense has been electric and hitting on all the right notes; however, the second half against Campbell saw the ball stagnate a few times.

If the ball keeps moving against Auburn, I could see the Gators turning this into a track meet with their bevy of skill players and running away with this game fairly quickly. — Michael Trim Jr.

If Florida is going to make some noise this season, it all begins with this game. It will be one of the few SEC matchups that the Gators are favored to win — and on the road to boot — but the margin of error will be razor thin against their historic conference rivals.

If the offense and special teams keep clicking, things should bode well for the Orange and Blue, but the defense stepping up and continuing to improve will be the key to success. I think Florida's offense will prove to be too much for Auburn, while the defense will rise to the occasion despite still showing some weaknesses. — Adam Dubbin

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