16 SEC Teams in 16 Days.... Will Auburn Get Back on Right Track in Year 2 Under Hugh Freeze?!?!?

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There's no denying it has been an uncharacteristically tough stretch on the Plains for the Auburn Tigers the last few years. The proud program has the 2nd worst record in the SEC ahead of only Vanderbilt the last 3 seasons. They did Gus Malzahn kind of dirty then whiffed on the desparation Bryan Harsin hire that never made sense.

Auburn hired the lightning rod Hugh Freeze to clean up their mess. And I would be lying if I said I did not like the hire. Say what you will about Freeze (And A LOT has been said) the man knows how to win football games. He won at Ole Miss, Liberty, Arkansas State & even a high school girls basketball state title so why can't he win at Auburn?

The Tigers finished 6-7 in Year One under Freeze. The whole season will always be remembered for the infamous 4th & 31 blown coverage against Alabama to choke the Iron Bowl. 

Do the Tigers take a step forward in Year 2 under Freeze? Let's break down the key questions.

1) Can Payton Thorn be a decent QB?

I was surprised that Auburn did not make a move to grab a new QB in the transfer portal. Thorn was horrendous in 2023 leading the SEC in INTs and finishing near the bottom in all passing stats. The Tigers opted to stay with the 6th year QB hoping he can bounce back. 

To be honest, Thorn did not get much help last year. Their offensive line SUCKED. And the playmakers at WR were non-existent. The only pass catcher worth anything was their Tight End and he is back. Freeze took over play calling towards the end of the season and that did help some too.

There will be less excuses for Thorn this season as everything around him looks much improved. The offensive line actually looks promising and Auburn added solid talent at WR in both the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Will that be enough to get Thorn to become a decent passer again? He does have good mobility at least.

2) Will the defense regress?

Auburn hired DJ Durkin to be their new DC after finishing 47th in total defense last year. That was not a bad effort at all considering how much they were on the field with all the 3 & Outs from the wretched offense. 

While I do respect Durkin, the defense lost a lot and returns only 4 starters. The LBs look pretty solid but there are questions both up front and in the secondary. 

3) Can Auburn win on the road?

I have said that Jordan-Hare Stadium is easily one of the most underrated environments in college football for years. Their fan base is loyal & loud. Winning there is no joke no matter if Auburn is good or bad. The problem is winning on the road in the SEC especially with shaky QB play. 

The SEC road schedule is an absolute bear with trips to Georgia, Kentucky, Mizzou & Alabama. There's a fairly likely shot they lose all four of those.

Hugh Freeze is also notorious for being an incredible coach as an underdog and losing games as a big favorite (see New Mexico State 2023). 

Draft Kings has Auburn's win total set at 7.5. Will they go over or under?

The good news is Auburn should get off to a hot start with easy wins over Alabama A&M, Cal & New Mexico before Arkansas heads to town to open SEC play.

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As I mentioned earlier, Auburn is no joke at home so I like their chances to get off to a 5-0 start with wins over both Arkansas & SEC newcomer Oklahoma.

The Tigers will crash in October dropping all 3 SEC road games at Kentucky, Georgia & Mizzou. Easy home wins over Vandy & ULMonroe are followed up by losses to Texas A&M and at Alabama to end the season. 

While I definitely believe in Hugh Freeze and think the future is bright on the Plains, I predict a 7-5 season and another mediocre bowl bid in year 2. Thorn is going to have to go off for this bunch to win 8 games and I am not a believer.

We will find out how real the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn truly is in 2025.