Coming into this weekend, it seemed as if Hugh Freeze was hanging on by a thread at Auburn and needed a win over Kentucky to avoid being fired. As Auburn faced a Kentucky team that was just 2-5 on the season and 0-5 in SEC play, it seemed would be the last straw for Hugh Freeze.
Last week, Hugh Freeze benched Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels gave the team a massive spark. Freeze started Ashton Daniels again this weekend, and pulled the plug going back to Arnold after Daniels was 8-16 for 59 yards through 3 quarters.
When Jackson Arnold came into the game, the Auburn Tigers didn't get the spark that Hugh Freeze told the broadcast he was looking for. Both of Jackson Arnold's drives ended with him getting sacked, which has become the theme of the season.
The play that epitomizes this Auburn season came with just under 3 minutes remaining as Auburn picked off Cutter Boley on an interception, which would've given them one more chance to tie the game, except he was stripped, giving Kentucky a 1st down, allowing the Wildcats to burn even more time off the clock.
Even after benching Ashton Daniels for Jackson Arnold, Freeze gave the offense back to Ashton Daniels in a truly head scratching turn of events. Daniels was able to pick up a few first downs, but Ashton Daniels threw an interception on the Hail Mary to seal the loss.
Hugh Freeze was given a ton of credit for his ability as a developer of quarterbacks, but his Auburn team has never shown that. This Kentucky team just allowed 56 points against Tennessee and allows 30.1 points per game, yet the Tigers scored just 3 points. The game marked the first time since 1991 that the Tigers lost while allowing 10 or less points.
The loss sinks the Tigers to 4-5 on the season with a 1-5 record in SEC play, which is frankly unacceptable with the level of talent that this team has. Auburn hired Hugh Freeze with the hopes of competing for SEC Championships and National Championships, but it's clear he's no longer that level of coach.
How much is Hugh Freeze's buyout if the Tigers move on?
When Auburn fired Bryan Harsin, they hired and signed Hugh Freeze to a 6-year deal worth $39 million. If Auburn chooses to move on from Hugh Freeze, they'll owe him a $15.4 million buyout, which is almost the same figure that they paid Harsin. Given how manageable the figure is for a program like Auburn, the Tigers won't have to worry too much about the financial side when making their decision.
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