The Auburn Tigers finished their third 5-7 season in the last four years, and finished with seven losses for the fifth straight year in 2025. They could've been bowl-eligible, but turned down the chance to play in the Birmingham Bowl and risk going 5-8.
Across the Yellowhammer State, the Alabama Crimson Tide finished 10-3 with an embarrassing 21-point loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game but failed upwards into the College Football Playoff's 12-team field at the No. 9 seed. Alabama still has a chance to win it all, but it has just as good a chance at taking a third straight loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday during the CFP's first round.