Former SEC QB sets timeline for when Auburn football could win a championship

Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray gave a very imminent timeline on when he believes Hugh Freeze can with an SEC title, if not a CFP championship, with Auburn football during an appearance on the Snaps podcast hosted by T-Bob Hebert.

Murray, who famously got walloped by Nick Fairley during the 2010 BCS National Championship season’s Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry game, sees the program’s past success, NIL money, and general program — not to mention Freeze’s personal triumphs while coaching Ole Miss — as reasons why the Tigers won’t be down for long.

Here were his comments on the January 26 Snaps podcast (transcribed by Auburn Wire’s Taylor Jones):

"“Ever since he has set foot on campus at Auburn, he as recruited at a high clip, he also has a top transfer portal class as well. They have plenty of money at Auburn, they are doing a great job when it comes to NIL as well. Hugh Freeze, the offense, the connections, the fact that he has had success in this league, the fact that Auburn has won championships in the past gives me confidence that he can get that thing going again in the next four years.”"

Auburn football must overcome historical obstacles to win a championship

With Alabama’s dynasty fully fortified over the last decade and Georgia becoming the new sport’s new goliath, there’s never been a worse time to be a rival of those two schools. By that same token, NIL means it’s never been a better time to be coaching a program with deep pockets and program enthusiasm able to generate more income locally — not to mention the breakneck pace of the transfer portal post-COVID.

It’s undeniable that there is a small handful of teams that has a stranglehold on the sport, but there is room for one College Football Playoff party crasher per season. Cincinnati and TCU certainly broke norms the last two years.

Hugh Freeze is a different breed than Luke Fickell and Sonny Dykes, though. He’s beaten Saban twice and has the backing of a far more powerful football machine than either of the two recent CFP coaches. When his team gets to the big game, they can win.

It’s genuinely not a hot take to say that Freeze could have Auburn football at or near the top of the sport in no time.