Hugh Freeze ‘not coaching to his personnel’ amidst Auburn’s losing streak

Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is “not coaching to his personnel” according to Opelika-Auburn News editor Justin Lee — who says that this is by design and, unfortunately, leading to what may not be the most aesthetically pleasing product to watch.

“Well, the interim coach had nothing to do but win the games in front of him, so he tailored the offense to his personnel,” Lee said to a reader who preferred Cadillac Williams’s offense when he was interim head coach for the final four games of the 2022 season. “Freeze is trying to establish his pass-happy offense and is not coaching to his personnel. Whether you like that or not, that’s for you to decide.”

With AU being blown out 48-18 at the hands of LSU in Death Valley, that brand of football has led to a 3-3 record through the season’s first half. Perhaps it’s not long before changes are made on the Plains…

Auburn football could face major changes before and after Week 8

While Freeze tempered expectations for the opening trio of SEC contests — a correct call in hindsight with the Tigers going 0-3 during that stretch and only being competitive in their one home game of that stretch — there was no such proclamation for the Ole Miss contest.

Freeze knows he needs to defeat Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels, a team the Oxford, Mississippi native Freeze coached for many years before having to leave amidst a scandal after Kiffin was tabbed as Auburn’s top coaching candidate in 2022 following Bryan Harsin’s firing; only to turn down the job and proceed to take shots at Tiger fans afterward.

That’s why he might make the call to remove Payton Thorne, who only had his first 100-yard passing effort with garbage time stats, from under center.

And why Philip Montgomery could soon get the axe since the former Tulsa head coach hasn’t come close to bringing out the best of anyone or of the offense as a collective.