On SI's Keith Cummings expects Auburn football to hold the line with Hugh Freeze; keeping him as head coach of the Tigers despite an overall record that is now worse than Bryan Harsin's after a Week 8 loss to Mizzou.
"Holding the line seems the likely course of action behind the scenes in the hushed meeting rooms of the Auburn program, but it doesn't make it the right decision ultimately," Cummings wrote. "Freeze is clinging on for sure, but the seismic moves aren't made by a furious fan base - they only happen much further up the food chain.
"So on we go with the pretty deflating status quo of failure and internal recriminations down on the Plains, all of which will be served up over the days to come. Embrace the drama folks, it's all that's left in this vicious circle."
Freeze was never going to be fired this season even with a 4-8 record -- and to be clear, AU's record could very well end up worse than that with the schedule they have in front of them -- but it appears as though the Tigers could hold the line ever longer than that.
247Sports' Phillip Marshall reports that Auburn could guarantee two more years for Freeze beyond this one, ensuring Freeze is the head coach until at least the end of the 2026 season. His seven-year deal runs through 2029.
Auburn football can, and would, find a reason to fire Hugh Freeze if they have to
Auburn beat reporters must like their access to Freeze's program because amidst the worst football AU has played since the end of the Gene Chizik era, there is not a single one even entertaining the possibility of a coaching change anytime soon.
Recruiting wins make for nice headlines, but when they don't translate to the field, there's a problem. The way this Auburn teams loses games doesn't inspire much hope for the future regardless of who's in uniform.
Freeze has always been on a short leash and has made sure not to act out as head coach. But one mistake can, and will, change AU's brain trust's opinion on Freeze leading the program.
Freeze doesn't have an infallible past. Something can happen. Don't write it off. Especially as losing and frustration set in.