For Auburn and Hugh Freeze, the season-opening win on the road against Baylor was everything that they needed after coming off a disappointing 5-7 season. The Tigers punished the Bears on the ground, rushing for 307 yards, led by Jackson Arnold's 137 yards and two touchdowns in his Auburn debut.
And while the Tigers' defense did struggle against Baylor's passing game, they won't face many aerial attacks as good as what they did from Sawyer Robertson and the Bears.
Now, the Tigers return home with a big win under their belt and a chance to start the season with three straight wins, as Ball State and South Alabama come to Jordan-Hare Stadium as major underdogs before SEC play kicks into gear.
If Freeze and his team want to prove more to Auburn fans, themselves, and future opponents, they need to maintain the same mindset they had going into the Baylor game. Why? Because we've seen it come crashing down before.
Two years ago, Auburn seemed to be on the right path after a rout of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Tigers dominated that game from the beginning, and looked as if they had found their stride. In comes New Mexico State and Diego Pavia, massive underdogs to the Tigers, and Auburn never got off the mat after suffering the first punch. It was an embarrassing loss for Freeze and his program.
Flash forward to 2024, and a close loss at Missouri, followed by a road win at Kentucky, in which the Wildcats were the favorites, was followed by a home loss to Vanderbilt, in which Auburn mustered only seven points. Pavia had struck again, but you couldn't blame Auburn's defense this time.
Now, Freeze and the Tigers have the momentum to rout two opponents that, in all fairness, they should definitely beat handily. Make no mistake: the Cardinals and Jaguars will come into Jordan-Hare looking to pull the upset, but the difference in talent between the Tigers and those two programs is vast.
Put them away early, let fans see some young guys and don't give Ball State or South Alabama any room to gain confidence. That would be a perfect way for Freeze and the Tigers to head into the SEC gauntlet.