Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is speeding up towards the fever pitch of his hot seat. With an 11-14 record on the Plains, Freeze needs a winning season with something more impressive to keep his job.
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman believes that something more impressive has to be his program getting a Top 25 ranking.
"Freeze knew the SEC well from his days at Ole Miss, and it seemed like a good match, but he’s gotten off to a slower start than anyone would’ve imagined. He’s 11-14, and it feels worse than that after losing at home to New Mexico State in his first season and then dropping home games to Cal, Vandy, Oklahoma and Arkansas in 2024," Feldman writes.
While the situation looks slightly precarious, Feldman thinks it is still doable.
"The Tigers appear to have upgraded their roster a lot this offseason. If Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold plays like the five-star QB recruiting analysts thought he was coming out of high school, the Tigers, with a seasoned O-line and potent receiving corps, should be a Top 25 team. If not, and Freeze has another losing season, the Tigers likely will be heading for another search," he continues, ranking Freeze's hot seat temperature as 'toasty,'" Feldman wrote.
Another major reason why Freeze needs a Top 25 ranking, and needs it very soon, is that he is on the cusp of breaking one of the program's most embarrassing streaks. In the past two and a half years in Auburn, Freeze is one Top 25 ranking away from breaking the worst streak in Auburn's history.
The Tigers have gone unranked in the Top 25 since November 2021, with the most recent Top 25 poll being the 55th time they have gone unranked. Although the streak started before Freeze took over, he hasn't been able to break it yet.
Interestingly, the longest Auburn has gone unranked is also 55 times, from 1964 to 1968. If Freeze fails to get his team ranked in the very next poll, he will have the longest running streak in program history of having a team unranked.
The only thing that Freeze can ensure for now is to win against Baylor in their season-opener and hope for a spot in the top 25.