The Auburn Tigers haven't had an uber-competitive Week 1 matchup since the 2019 season, when Bo Nix outdueled Justin Herbert and the Oregon Ducks, 27-21, in Eugene and got what'd be one of the program's last great signature national victories before the post-COVID-19 NIL-era downturn.
Since then, Allen Greene and John Cohen have scheduled the Akron Zips, Mercer Bears, UMass Minutemen, and Alabama A&M Bulldogs before breaking that trend next Friday against the Baylor Bears on August 29 in Waco.
Saturday Down South's David Wasson condemned the program for booking Group of Five/FCS marshmallows in Week 1 during Joe Biden's administration.