AP Photo/Butch Dill
At this time last year, quarterback DJ Lagway was a trendy pick to win the Heisman Trophy for the Florida Gators.
Lagway and his former head coach, Billy Napier, had finished the 2024 season strong in Gainesville, and there was growing belief that Florida was on the cusp of returning to the upper echelons of the SEC.
All that hype was derailed in Week 2, when Florida lost at home to South Florida.
The quarterback of the Bulls for that game was Byrum Brown, and his head coach was Alex Golesh.
Both Golesh and Brown are now at Auburn, which takes on Baylor at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in Week 1. The Tigers are a 7.5-point favorite over the Bears.
Baylor vs. Auburn odds, pick
Hugh Freeze was meant to bring Auburn back into relevance in the SEC, but he never got all the pieces to fit together.
There was plenty of talent on the roster, but it just never clicked. Golesh was brought in to fix that, and he seems to have a clear vision for Year 1: Let Byrum Brown do his thing.
One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, Brown excels at extending plays without getting himself into trouble, and he’ll know what his coach expects from him from the first snap.
Brown racked up 3,158 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, plus 1,121 rushing yards (not including sacks) and 14 touchdowns for USF last year, making it twice in three seasons that he threw for at least 3,000 yards and rushed for at least 1,000 more in the same campaign.
Catch up on The Post’s college football betting predictions and previews for the 2026 season
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- Notre Dame football odds, picks, predictions: Fighting Irish will reach championship heights
- These sleepers can qualify for the CFP
As for Lagway, it’s a guessing game. He can chuck it, but he was inconsistent in his first two years in Gainesville, and now will have to find some stability amid chaos. Baylor’s offense was its calling card last year, but it’s almost a completely new unit in 2026.
If the offense doesn’t click, that could be a big problem, as the Bears were shredded on defense last season. That unit, too, is starting over, and perhaps new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman gets it right, but we’re really rolling the dice here.
I expect Golesh and Brown to hit the ground running, while it could take some time (perhaps too much to save head coach Dave Aranda’s job) for Baylor to get up to speed.
The Play: Auburn -7.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
