Through two-and-a-half seasons at Auburn, Hugh Freeze hasn't performed up to the expectations when he arrived on campus. Sure, rebuilding the program after the previous tenure would be a difficult job for anyone, and there have been some things that haven't gone Freeze's way, but in Year 3, fans are expecting a contender.
Coming out of the bye week, Auburn stands 3-2 after a two-game losing streak, albeit to two teams ranked in the top 10, and on the road. It wasn't that the Tigers lost those games, especially the Texas A&M one, but how they lost. The offense, Freeze's specialty, put up just 177 total yards against the Aggies, constantly kicking themselves in the foot with penalties.
With USA TODAY releasing every college football coach's salary on Wednesday, it was no surprise that Freeze was among those listed, alongside Billy Napier and Bill Belichick, who the publication thinks are overpaid.
"Unless his team's underperforming offense gets in gear, Freeze could become the first Auburn coach with three losing seasons in a row since Earl Brown from 1948-50. Before being hired by the Tigers, Freeze had just one losing season in 10 years as a Bowl Subdivision head coach. Barring a strong second half, Auburn will be conducting its third coaching search since the end of the 2020 season. Freeze is earning $6.7 million in total compensation this season with a school buyout of $15.4 million."
Freeze and the Tigers have a chance to get things back on track this Saturday against No. 12 Georgia in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn has had two weeks to prepare for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, and a win would go a long way in keeping Freeze's job security safe.
A loss, though, would be another blow to his reputation, as the schedule doesn't get any easier next week with a visit from No. 14 Missouri.
Freeze has the opportunity to show he earns that salary, starting against the rival Bulldogs.