Paul Finebaum has spent the entire 2024 season ripping Hugh Freeze, and On SI's Keith Cummings noticed that he was starting to lose his enthusiasm for it before a 28-14 loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl fired it back up.
"When Paul Finebaum muses over the turbulent tenure of Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, the veteran analyst nearly always goes into full-on cobra attack mode. More recently Finebaum has seemed almost bored with attacking the embattled Freeze, but after his second loss in the Iron Bowl blood is in the water once again," Cummings wrote.
Finebaum's comments on Freeze following the Iron Bowl were ultimately pretty tame. As anyone already knew, Auburn's performance in the transfer portal and on the field will determine Freeze's fate. The program got off to a great start this offseason at early signing day but was done no favors by Na'eem Offord; who looked destined to give AU eight of the top 10 recruits in the state but backed off at the last second to flip from Ohio State to Oregon instead.
And I do mean last second. It took many seconds, minutes, and even hours before Parker High School's early signing day ceremony hosted Offord's decision.
Regardless, Freeze has one more season to make things right. While some believe the 2026 season is guaranteed for him due to his recruiting success, another losing season won't be tolerated by a donor base that will do whatever it takes to avoid AU becoming perenially irrelevant in the SEC.