AUBURN | Bruce Pearl didn’t waste any time setting the stage.

Just minutes after No. 2 Auburn’s 94-80 win over Vanderbilt Wednesday night, Pearl called Saturday’s game at Florida a must-win if the Tigers are to win their fifth-ever SEC regular season championship and second of the Pearl era.

“I think Florida is a must-win for us to win the league. I think we have to beat Florida at Florida to win the league,” Pearl told the Auburn Network. “We’ve got to go to Tennessee and we’ve got to go to Mississippi State. If we win down there, that gives us a real, real shot with four games left to think about having a chance to win this thing.”

At 24-2 overall and 12-1 in the SEC, Auburn holds a two-game lead over both Kentucky and Tennessee with fives games to play. Arkansas is three games back.

The game against the Gators is the first of three of four on the road as AU enters one of the toughest stretches of the season. AU returns home next Wednesday against Ole Miss before playing at Tennessee and Mississippi State.

The Tigers conclude the regular season at home March 5 against South Carolina.

Auburn beat Florida 85-73 at home Jan. 8 but is just 27-48 all-time in Gainesville. Pearl has lost all four of his games at Florida as Auburn’s head coach. His last win in Gainesville came with Tennessee in 2009.

“I’ve not won down there with Auburn yet. That will be a great opportunity for us, but got to play better,” said Pearl.

Auburn won SEC Championships in 1928, 1960, 1999 and 2018. AU has won two SEC Tournament Championships in 1985 and 2019.

Tip-off at the O’Connell Center is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.