The Auburn Tigers kickoff their 2026 college football season on Saturday when they play the Baylor Bears. The game will be a neutral site game in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a start time of 2:30 p.m. CT. As the Tigers begin the season though, where do they place in the ESPN FPI rankings?
The ESPN Football Power Index measures the strength of the team to help predict what the season outcome will be. For Auburn, they are top-25 teaming according to the FPI. The ranking also measures how many wins a team will get during the season, and what the postseason chances are predicted at.
Here is a look at how the Tigers stand in the FPI rankings prior to the first game of the season.
Overall: No. 22
The Auburn Tigers are currently ranked No. 22 in the rankings
as the season has begun. They are ranked No. 11 among SEC schools with 12 teams ranked in the top-25. The SEC teams that did not make that group were Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi State. Auburn is one of 26 teams with a ranking of 10 or more with theirs being at 12.
Chance to earn six wins: 71%
Auburn is a program looking to avoid a sixth consecutive losing season. In order to do that, a first step would be getting to six wins on the season. After the game versus Baylor, Auburn will have three consecutive home games before their first true road game of the season at Tennessee. Starting the season 4-0 would put the Tigers in a position to end the streak of losing seasons. According to the ESPN Football Power Index, the Tigers are predicted to win 6.7 wins. Auburn has a 1.5% chance at winning the SEC, and a 12.3% chance at making the College Football Playoff.
Auburn vs. Baylor Prediction
Auburn currently has a 72.9% chance at defeating Baylor according to the ESPN FPI matchup prediction. The is one of the highest percentages for the Tigers as they enter the 2026 season. For Baylor, they are ranked No. 37 with their number at 6.5. Out of all the Big 12 teams, the Bears are ranked No. 6 in the FPI Rankings. They are projected to win 6.6 games as this season is a pivotal year for head coach Dave Aranda.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Where does Auburn rank in the ESPN FPI rankings before playing Baylor?
