Summer is when we all love to talk about coaches on the hot seat going into the season, and one of the most talked about coaches is Hugh Freeze who won't make it past 2025 if the Auburn Tigers don't have eight or more wins. As excited as the fanbase was for Freeze after the Brian Harsin debacle patience is starting to wear thin.
The recruiting has been great, but the results on the field have been far and few between and it starts with how bad the quarterback play has been over the last two years. Hugh put his faith in Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne and the offense suffered from it. On top of the bad QB play, there were some bad losses, and most importantly no wins in the Iron Bowl, makes 8 wins a must for the Auburn Tigers.
It may sound bleak going into the season, but Hugh Freeze has a new QB in Jackson Arnold who honestly we are all still trying to figure out how good he is. His time in Norman didn't end as anyone expected, but a fresh start with arguably the best wide receiver group in the SEC may be what both Arnold and the Tiger's offense needs. You would have to think his QB play will be an upgrade over what has been seen over the last two years on the Plains, and the fanbase should feel somewhat optimistic going into the season. Looking at the schedule by the end of September we should have a good idea of how this season will go.
Auburn must start the season with a win over Baylor on the road in Waco. They will have all eyes on them since the game is on Friday night, and a win here could set the tone for a tough September that also includes road games in Norman and College Station. The times haven't been announced yet, but both places are tough to win at, especially if they are night games. That game against OU will be even bigger than normal, considering the Jackson Arnold situation, and on top of that, the Sooners are expected to be much better than they were last year.
Anything less than a 3-2 start to the season, and it would be a surprise if Hugh Freeze sees October. However, if Auburn can win a couple of those big road games, that home game to start the month against Georgia could be a huge game. We've seen some crazy endings in this game, especially in the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Bulldogs will be good but may have a few more questions going into the season than normal, so if there is a time for Auburn to win, it's this season.
After Georgia on paper it gets a little easier, but I would consider all these games tossup games against Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. These are all must win games, but definitely far from guarantees especially the Vandy Game where Diego Pavia has two straight wins over Hugh Freeze in Auburn. No matte how the season goes the Iron Bowl is the Iron Bowl, especially when played in Lee County and who knows how that game goes unless the bottom has already fallen out.
Auburn shows signs that they should be a much better team especially on the offensive side of the ball, but the schedule is sneakily tough and there are quite a few toss up games. With that being said best case scenario I see would be 9-3, but it could get ugly quickly depending on how the month of September goes. Freeze knows what the expectations are for the season and it will be interesting to see how they respond to the pressure. If not there will be a push to bring current SMU coach Rhett Lashley back into the program.