The Auburn Tigers may have missed out on the opportunity to improve to the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP Poll following a loss to Duke, but Bruce Pearl’s Tigers were able to stand their ground following a 1-1 week. Auburn has checked in at No. 2 in the Week 6 AP Poll, trailing fellow SEC program Tennessee for the top ranked spot.
The Tigers received three first place votes, which was significantly behind Tennessee’s 58 votes and slightly ahead of No. 3 ranked Iowa State’s one vote. Even though the ranking may be disappointing, it is important to note any spot within the top 12 is historically an opportunistic sign. 34 of the past 35 national champions have been ranked within the top 12 spots in the Week 6 AP poll, including all 20 since 2004.
While trends are always meant to be broken and the national championship will ultimately be decided by the ways a team clicks as it approaches the end of the season, the statistic is still an important indicator when looking at the overall chances of a program to cut the nets. Auburn is one of five SEC programs ranked in the top 12. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are joined by No. 1 ranked Tennessee, Kentucky (5), Alabama (7), and Florida (9). Texas A&M (17), Ole Miss (19), and Mississippi State (25) round out the other SEC programs receiving ranked spots in the poll.
Bruce Pearl’s Tigers may not be the top ranked team in the nation, but Johni Broome and company can certainly play their way into the conversation with victories over Ohio State and No. 11 ranked Purdue in the coming weeks. It is very possible the SEC enters conference play with at least three teams ranked in the top 5 of the AP Poll.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch