Hugh Freeze took to the SEC Media Days with one expectation in mind for his team for this season: Reach the college football playoffs.
"I truly believe that in the playoff run, we're going to be in this discussion because I love this team," he had said, emphasizing the confidence he had in his current roster.
For a team that has been desperately struggling to have a winning season, it naturally came off as a long shot.
ESPN's Heather Dinich doubled down on the long-shot perception, noting that it would be too tough an uphill battle for Auburn to reach the CFP.
And that is after siding with Freeze about his roster being one of the most improved in the country.
“Auburn might be one of the most improved teams in the country, but it might not show in wins against the nation's 14th-toughest schedule,” Dinich argued.
“Auburn could still be a four-loss team (Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama), and while that would be its best finish under coach Hugh Freeze, it's unlikely to make the cut for the 12-team field."
Undeniably, the bar is set only higher from where it was the previous year for the CFP. Even Alabama, which had one of the toughest schedules last season, was very controversially left to bite the dust with a three-loss season the previous year.
Not to forget the treacherous-looking schedule the Tigers face this season, especially conference games.
Although Freeze has been proud of how his defense is coming up in the final weeks of practice camps, both he and his QB Jackson Arnold have admitted that their offense still needs some polishing.
The more believable goal for the Tigers for now would be to have one winning season under Freeze. They can take the playoff expectations from there.