Projecting the best records for the top college football conferences
USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg breaks down who he thinks will win the in each of the Power Four conferences and the Group of Five.
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The 2025 college football season will be an important one for both Baylor and Auburn.
Following back-to-back losing seasons, Dave Aranda seemed to right the ship with the Bears with an 8-5 record during the 2025 season. On the flipside, the Tigers are looking to avoid a fifth-straight losing season and the third straight under Hugh Freeze.
Baylor and Auburn are scheduled to kick off their respective seasons at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 29, from McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. This marks the first matchup between the schools since a 15-14 Bears win on Sept. 18, 1976.
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Baylor vs Auburn live score
This section will be updated.
| TEAMS | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
| Auburn | 7 | 10 | ― | ― | ― |
| Baylor | 3 | 7 | ― | ― | ― |
| Stat | Auburn | Baylor |
| Points | 17 | 10 |
| Total Yds | 238 | 240 |
| Pass Yds | 79 | 187 |
| Rush Yds | 159 | 53 |
| Penalties | 5-45 | 1-5 |
| 1st Downs | 14 | 11 |
| 3rd Downs | 2-5 | 2-9 |
| 4th Downs | 0-0 | 2-4 |
| Total Plays | 37 | 40 |
| Avg Yds/Play | 6.4 | 6.0 |
| Avg Yds/Completion | 13.2 | 17.0 |
| Avg Yds/Rush | 5.9 | 3.1 |
| Sack-Adj Rush Yd(Avg) | 173 (6.7) | 66 (4.7) |
| Red Zone | 2-2 | 1-2 |
| Time of Poss | 16:41 | 13:19 |
| Turnovers (Def Pts Off) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Sacks (Def Yds) | 3 (13) | 1 (14) |
| TFL (Def Yds) | 4 (14) | 1 (14) |
Auburn enters halftime with a 17-10 lead over Baylor. The Bears struck first with a field goal on their first drive, but Jackson Arnold and the Tigers responded with a 96-yard TD drive on their second drive following a turnover on downs for Baylor.
Arnold completed 6 of 10 passes for 79 yards, while also adding nine rushes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Damari Alston also had a rushing touchdown in the first half.
Sawyer Robertson completed 11 of 23 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown for Baylor. Bryson Washington had nine rushes for 42 yards.
Auburn will receive the ball coming out of halftime.
Sawyer Robertson hits Kobe Prentice for a 33-yard touchdown on fourth-and-9 to cut the Auburn lead to 17-10 with 3:21 left in the first half. Prentice is an Alabama transfer and has played against Auburn the last three seasons.
Robertson racks up 61 yards of passing on the drive and is up to 154 for the game.
The scoring drive goes eight plays for 75 yards and takes 2:24 off the game clock.
Alex McPherson hits a 21-yard field goal to extend the Auburn lead to 17-3 with 5:45 left in the second quarter. It’s McPherson’s first field goal since Oct. 26, 2024, vs. Kentucky.
Auburn’s scoring drive is seven plays for 41 yards and takes 2:58 off the clock, following a turnover on downs for Baylor.
Coleman had a 23-yard catch on the drive, his first of the season.
Baylor opts to go for it on fourth down from its own 44-yard line, but Sawyer Robertson’s pass falls incomplete for a turnover on downs. There was a holding penalty that would have negated the play for the Bears, regardless.
Auburn takes over on the Baylor 44-yard line.
After missing most of the 2024 season due to ulcerative colitis, which required surgery to remove his colon last December, Alex McPherson is back as Auburn’s kicker. He has made both his extra point attempts tonight.
Here are three things to know about McPherson from Montgomery Advertiser reporter Adam Cole.
Damari Alston scores on a 9-yard run to extend the Auburn lead to 14-3, making it 14 unanswered points for the Tigers after falling behind 3-0. Jackson Arnold had a big drive on the ground and is up to six rushes for 64 yards, while also adding 41 yards passing.
Auburn’s scoring drive goes seven plays for 65 yards and takes 3:45 off the game clock.
Amaris Williams sacks Sawyer Robertson on second down and then Robertson fires a ball incomplete on third down to force a three-and-out for Baylor. Auburn will start on its own 35 yard line following a 37-yard punt from Palmer Williams.
Baylor gets off to a quick start with a field goal drive and then a second drive inside the Auburn 10-yard line. However, due to a turnover on downs and a 96-yard drive led by Jackson Arnold, the Tigers hold a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Baylor out-gained Auburn 125-106 in the first quarter.
After a slow start, Jackson Arnold leads Auburn on a 96-yard scoring drive on the Tigers’ second possession of the season. Arnold scores on a 24-yard keeper to cap the scoring drive. He breaks a tackle to find the endzone. Arnold also had a 25-yard pass to Malcolm Simmons on the drive.
The scoring drive goes 12 plays for 96 yards and takes 5:53 off the game clock.
A massive throw from Sawyer Robertson to Kole Wilson sets Baylor up with a first-and-goal from inside the Auburn 10-yard line. However, the Bears drive stalls with three straight runs and an incomplete pass on fourth down to end the drive without a score.
Auburn begins its second drive from its own 3-yard line.
Jackson Arnold misses an open Cam Coleman on second down and is sacked on third down to force a three-and-out for the Auburn offense.
Baylor will start its second drive from its own 35-yard line.
Baylor strikes first on a 36-yard field goal from Connor Hawkins. The Bears’ drive was kept alive on a fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. Byrson Washington totals two rushes for 21 yards on the drive.
The scoring drive goes 13 plays for 56 yards and takes 4:24 off the game clock.
Auburn won the toss and deferred to the second half. Baylor will receive the opening kickoff, while the Tigers will defend the north goal.
An SEC officiating crew will be on the call for tonight’s game.
| Referee: | Jason Autrey |
| Umpire: | Jason Yates |
| Referee: | Jason Autrey |
| Head Linesman: | Ryan Hagan |
| Line Judge: | Colin Gaynor |
| Back Judge: | Peter Buchanan |
| Field Judge: | Barry Blackwell |
| Side Judge: | Ryan Flynn |
| Center Judge: | Chris Sneed |
| Replay Official: | Kevin Holmes |
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, both wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. and kicker Alex McPherson have traveled with Auburn to Waco, Texas, for tonight’s game. Hugh Freeze previously indicated McPherson was a game-time decision. He was kicking from around 35 yards out in pregame.
Singleton did not have a wrap around his leg while warming up.
Cam Coleman was a star as a freshman for Auburn, but he really came on at the end of the season. In the final three games for the Tigers, Coleman had 22 receptions for 306 yards and six touchdowns against Louisiana-Monroe, Texas A&M and Alabama.
In his first eight collegiate games, Coleman had 15 catches for 292 yards and two TDs.
Coleman was the No. 3 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class, behind only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson IV, according to 247 Sports Composite rankings.
Sawyer Robertson will earn the start for Baylor against Auburn in the season opener. Last season, Robertson completed 229 of 368 passes (62.2%) for 3,071 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He’s in his fourth year of college football, with stops at Mississippi State and Baylor. He’s completed 301 of 496 passes (60.7%) for 3,958 yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Jackson Arnold is the starting QB for Auburn for the 2025 season opener. The former Oklahoma signal-caller won the job after transferring in from the Sooners over the offseason.
As a sophomore, Arnold completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6%) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions last year for Oklahoma. He took 34 sacks.
For his career, Arnold has completed 198 of 315 passes (62.9%) for 1,984 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Since Dave Aranda took over as the Baylor coach in 2020, the Bears are 4-1 in season openers. The lone loss was a 42-31 loss to Texas State on the road in 2023. Baylor finished that season 3-9.
The Bears opened the 2024 season with a 45-3 win over Tarleton State. Baylor faces a much stiffer test with Auburn to open the 2025 season.
It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. Auburn is 2-0 with wins over UMass and Alabama A&M in two season openers under coach Hugh Freeze. However, the Tigers have finished with 6-7 and 5-7 records the last two years, respectively.
This will be the first time Auburn opens the season on the road under Freeze and the first time in a true road game season opener since 2002, when it played USC.
What time does Baylor vs Auburn start?
- Date: Friday, Aug. 29
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas
The Week 1 matchup between Baylor and Auburn is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 29, from McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.
What TV channel is Baylor vs Auburn on today?
Baylor vs Auburn will air nationally on FOX. Streaming options include the Fox Sports app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Baylor-Auburn predictions
- Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY Sports: Baylor 31, Auburn 20
“The offensive struggles under Hugh Freeze struggle for the Tigers in a tough road environment. Sawyer Robertson has a big day for the Bears in a double-digit win.”
- Adam Cole, Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn 31, Baylor 27
“The biggest [linchpin] for Auburn’s success in Waco is bigger than Jackson Arnold. It’ll come down to how well the Tigers protect him. Should the offensive line live up to its billing, it should be a win.“
Baylor football schedule 2025
Here is Baylor’s schedule for the 2025 season:
- Friday, Aug. 29: vs. Auburn | 8 p.m. | Fox (Fubo)
- Saturday, Sept. 6: at No. 16 SMU | Noon | The CW Network (Fubo)
- Saturday, Sept. 13: vs. Samford | Noon | ESPN+
- Saturday, Sept. 20: vs. No. 11 Arizona State*
- Saturday, Sept. 27: at Oklahoma State*
- Saturday, Oct. 4: vs. No. 20 Kansas State*
- Saturday, Oct. 11: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 18: at TCU*
- Saturday, Oct. 25: at Cincinnati*
- Saturday, Nov. 1: vs. UCF*
- Saturday, Nov. 8: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 15: vs. Utah*
- Saturday, Nov. 22: at Arizona*
- Saturday, Nov. 29: vs. Houston*
*Denotes Big 12 Conference game
Auburn football schedule 2025
Here is Auburn’s schedule and results.
- Friday, Aug. 29: vs. Baylor | 8 p.m. | Fox (Fubo)
- Saturday, Sept. 6: vs. Ball State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU (ESPN+)
- Saturday, Sept. 13: vs. South Alabama | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network (ESPN+)
- Saturday, Sept. 20: at Oklahoma*
- Saturday, Sept. 27: at No. 21 Texas A&M*
- Saturday, Oct. 4: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 11: vs. No. 4 Georgia*
- Saturday, Oct. 18: vs. Missouri*
- Saturday, Oct. 25: at Arkansas*
- Saturday, Nov. 1: vs. Kentucky*
- Saturday, Nov. 8: at Vanderbilt*
- Saturday, Nov. 15: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 22: vs. Mercer
- Saturday, Nov. 29: vs. No. 8 Alabama*
*Denotes SEC game
