It is one thing not to perform well in the regular season, and it is another thing to lose against your historic rival in a storied Bowl game. Auburn Tigers' head coach Hugh Freeze has done both.
As the Tigers' head coach, Freeze appeared in two Iron Bowl games against their rival Alabama and lost both times. Salt to the wound were two losing seasons with it.
Will the third time be a charm for Freeze? Looking at all the hot-seat pressure surrounding him, it does seem like a long shot.
ESPN's Heather Dinich, however, feels this Iron Bowl would be lucky for Auburn's squad.
“I’m going to tell you right now that Auburn is going to win the Iron Bowl,” Dinich said. “Hugh Freeze has finally had enough time to bring in the players that can help him do that.”
Freeze does have some nice firepower in his defense this season, something that he has been complimenting a lot lately in his post-practice press conference. Then there's the Freeze Four and a pair of stud transfer WRs that can prove to be seriously important in winning this season.
While some positional groups like the linebacker and, most importantly, QB still carry some doubts, the group looks like they can manage a winning record this season.
When it comes to defeating a squad like Alabama, though, that's where things might get precarious for Freeze's team. They will need a much more stable offense for starters, considering they can contain explosive players like Ty Simpson and Ryan Williams.
"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 had said earlier when talking about Auburn's chances of making it to the College Football Playoff.
Unless Freeze has miraculously turned around the program this offseason, Alabama will probably dominate them.