Hugh Freeze got some grace after a 6-6 finish to his first regular season as Auburn's head football coach. The national audience was made to understand that Bryan Harsin set the program back, and there would be baby steps under the new regime. AU was two fourth quarters against Georgia and Alabama away from an 8-4 year that would've been an unquestionable success.
Far less grace was given after a 5-7 2024 campaign. AD John Cohen confirmed Freeze's seat isn't hot, but neither his long-term prospects on the Plains nor his recruiting need another 6-6 season or worse.
Saturday Blitz's Andrew Boardwine has an even higher standard. Boardwine believes the Tigers should win no fewer than eight games and proceeded to name the contests it'd be unacceptable for Auburn to lose against.
"Looking at Auburn’s 2025 schedule, the Tigers have no excuse for another mediocre season. Sure, matchups against Georgia, Texas A&M (away), and Alabama won't be easy, but outside of those three, there are plenty of winnable games," Boardwine wrote.
"Baylor, Ball State, South Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Mercer? Auburn should be expected to handle those opponents, given the resources poured into this team. Even Oklahoma is beatable if Freeze can finally prove he can coach a complete game in the SEC. If they can't at the very least go 8-1 against the list we've provided there, it will speak volumes against Freeze moving forward."
Boardwine would go on to put the onus on highly-regarded transfer portal addition Jackson Arnold to bring Auburn back to national relevance.
Freeze has the biggest prove-it year of his career coming this fall. He can either become a hero in Lee County or ramp up the interest in his buyout figure.
There's almost no in-between. I'd say he prefers it that way, but a combined 11-14 record is not what anyone had in mind when he was hired in November 2022.