The Auburn Tigers suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday, falling 44-39 to the Florida Gators at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They will now look to rebound this week with a matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Auburn and Vanderbilt both have one quality win this season, both in shocking fashion. The Tigers defeated Baylor in Week 1 on a stopped two-point conversion play, and Vanderbilt recently defeated NC State by sacking Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey in the endzone, causing a fumble that Vanderbilt recovered for a touchdown as time expired.
Here is a look at where the Tigers stand in the latest ESPN FPI Rankings ahead of their Week 4 game vs. Vanderbilt.
Week three rankings
Despite losing to the Gators 44-39, Auburn only dropped one spot in the latest
ESPN FPI Rankings. The Tigers are now at No. 24 and have a football power index of 12.9. Last week, Auburn was at No. 23 with an FPI of 14.2. Florida made a one-spot drop despite being 3-0 and picking up the win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Gators are now ranked at No. 16. There are 11 SEC teams in the top 25, with Mississippi State jumping from No. 27 to No. 22. Both South Carolina and Missouri dropped six spots, with the Gamecocks now at No. 27 and Missouri at No. 32. While Kentucky did not get into the top 25 of the ESPN FPI Rankings, they did improve by 15 spots, going from No. 51 to No. 36.
Chance to win six games
With the loss to Florida, the Tigers' quest to win six games this season got a lot tougher. However, the ESPN FPI still has the Tigers with a 71.4% chance at winning enough games to be bowl eligible this season. The projected win-loss record for Auburn is not at 6.4-5.6. For the rest of the season, Auburn is favored in games versus Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Samford. Wins in those games will just get them to five wins. They will need to beat a team they currently are projected to lose a game against.
Auburn vs Vanderbilt prediction
Auburn has not had much luck against the Commodores in the last two seasons. The Tigers dropped both matchups, including a 45-38 overtime loss last season in Nashville. Alex Golesh has a chance to change the trend when Vanderbilt comes to play at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. Auburn currently has a 74.9% chance to beat Vanderbilt on Saturday according to the ESPN Matchup Predictor. This game will be Auburn's final home game for a few weeks. Vanderbilt enters the game at 3-0 after a miracle victory at home versus NC State.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Where Auburn ranks in the ESPN FPI after Week 3 loss to Florida
