Coming into the 2025 college football season, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze's name could be found on every hot seat list after a disappointing start to his tenure on the Plains.
Two weeks and two wins later, things are easing up on the 55-year-old Mississippi native as this season has started as well as you could expect for the Tigers.
Led by 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns from the legs of quarterback Jackson Arnold, Auburn went down to Waco, Texas, and defeated a Baylor team that some have picked to win the Big 12. The Tigers' rushing offense dominated the game, putting up 307 yards and four scores, while the defense came up with some timely stops late.
With a win in the pocket on a Friday night, the Tigers were able to take in a full day of Saturday action. It started with a dud performance from Arch Manning, who was more hyped in the preseason than an Olive Garden coming to my hometown in Northeastern Kentucky.
But there was more good news. Gus Malzahn, the Gus Bus, the chewing gum chomper, turned back the clock in his first game as offensive coordinator for Florida State and helped the Seminoles upset Auburn's biggest rival, Alabama, in the first game of the season. Suddenly, all the attention was on Kalen DeBoer, his job security, and whether he was the right person to lead the Crimson Tide program.
The reactions from Alabama fans were priceless, and people immediately forgot that it was Freeze, not DeBoer, who was on the hot seat just a few days earlier.
A 42-3 win against Ball State in the home opener was nothing to rave about, except for the defense, which held the Cardinals to 68 total yards, the lowest an Auburn team has allowed an opponent since 1985.
However, it was Freeze's pregame speech that caught the attention of many this week. The Freeze that I know (and as always, full disclosure: yes, we are good friends) was back with the energy and passion that sometimes lacked in the first two seasons.
And remember that Baylor win? It went from a good one to a great one after the Bears went into Dallas and took down No. 17 SMU in double overtime.
The 2-0 start helped Auburn break its drought from being in the AP top 25, and a rout of South Alabama this Saturday would only add to the fire that Freeze and his staff have built early in the season before heading into SEC play.
Yes, the season has started precisely like it needed to for Freeze and the Auburn football program. Let's see if it leads to big things.