Auburn losing to Vanderbilt was a bridge too far for many. Hugh Freeze had to be fired, some thought, after his Tigers lost 17-7 against Vanderbilt as a touchdown-favorite heading into the Week 10 contest.
FanSided's John Buhler casually threw out the idea of Freeze receiving his pink slip via his Achilles heel the last three years, Diego Pavia.
"Only time will tell if this latest defeat by Auburn will be enough to merit Freeze getting the pink slip," Buhler wrote.
Freeze won't be fired even if AU goes 4-8. Looking at the schedule, that was a very deliberate prediction by 247Sports' Nathan King. He may have until 2025 or 2026.
And it's all because of one word: recruiting.
Auburn's recruiting strategy has pivoted to promising early playing time
Notice the pivot here. After Auburn lost to Vanderbilt, the state of Alabama's No. 1 Class of 2025 recruit, Na'eem Offord, is talking about early playing time if he commits to the Tigers next year.
"Early playing time at Auburn 'most definitely' a factor for 5-star Ohio State commit Na'eem Offord," On3's Cole Pinkston reported.
Offord could join nearly the rest of the state of Alabama's top 10 players in 2025 by flipping to Auburn. And because of Freeze's failures, he can step in and play right away with just his signature at National Signing Day.
That's not a bad deal for a freshman. Take the money, and if things go wrong, run. The NIL era empowers players to make these kinds of moves.
And it also empowers coaches like Freeze to promise the future without achieving a single thing in the present.