The Auburn Tigers lost another winnable football game on Saturday night to the Georgia Bulldogs, 20-10, squandering a 10-point lead in the first half and producing 40 yards of offense in the second half. And many are blaming the loss solely on an egregious fumble call on Jackson Arnold at the goal line in the first half, ignoring the 40 yards of offense in the second half from a supposedly offensive-minded head coach, a seven-figure quarterback investment, and a seven-figure investment into the receiving corps.
Some fans know better. Crain and Company's Jake Crain certainly does.
Crain claimed that keeping Freeze in the seat any longer essentially amounts to "abuse" of Tiger fans at this point.
"Auburn fans will always root for Auburn but at this point it seems like most once again have to look toward basketball season for hope," Crain wrote.
"This can’t continue. The next Auburn head football has to breed optimism and needs to be a proven winner at the highest level.
"Auburn fans continue to create an incredible atmosphere but the football team can’t win an inter squad game right now. Get someone in here who has that dog in them and can finish games and evaluate talent that can finish games.
"Auburn fans are incredibly loyal but at this point it feels like abuse.
"It’s time to move on from Hugh Freeze. He just can’t do it at this level."
Considering Freeze mentioned creating a winning culture again, and has heavily relied on leaning on Bryan Harsin's failures via his "stacking recruiting classes" trope, there is, at minimum, a form of gaslighting from the Oxford, Mississippi, native.
Some fans will eat that up. They'll continue giving Freeze the Harsin pass, and they'll continue to say it was the referees who couldn't move the ball down the field with the game still winnable. They'll convince themselves that their program needs every call from a referee to go right for their team to win.
Sure. It's the referees every time.
There will be a very 2022 Arkansas Razorbacks game vibe when the Missouri Tigers come to town. An embarrassing loss feels like it should be the end for Freeze.
If it's not, maybe we have to consider that the athletic department is just toying with fans and doesn't want to move the program in the right direction anytime soon.
Auburn deserves better. The more it accepts this moving forward, the less that last statement will ring true.