Auburn football schedule news: Week 9 opponent hit with violations, OU game deemed make-or-break

Hugh Freeze's Auburn football program plays at Jordan-Hare Stadium on the final Saturday of this month, and with the calendar turning to August, the 2024 schedule is coming into focus.

The leading story in SEC football on August 2 was Kentucky, AU's Week 9 opponent, Kentucky, being hit with violations pertaining to impermissible benefits handed out prior to NIL that'd be legal right now if done through the proper channels.

As KY Sports Radio's Matt Jones points out, the Wildcats won't be banned from the postseason but are vacating wins as part of their punishment.

"Kentucky Football will not have to sit out any Bowl games during the two year probation period," Jones wrote. "The violations were all Level 2 but led to vacation of games because the players became technically ineligible when they were paid for jobs that they did not perform."

Oklahoma-Auburn football matchup in Week 5 potentially make-or-break

On3's Andy Staples looked at some of the make-or-break games of the 2024 season and settled on Oklahoma as Auburn's in Week 5 on the Plains in the Sooners' first conference road game in the "It Just Means More" conference; make-or-break not to the point of Hugh Freeze or Brent Venables being fired, but to the point that a College Football Playoff berth can be decided.

"This one won’t get anyone fired, but it definitely feels critical for both teams simply by virtue of where it falls on the schedule. Oklahoma opens SEC play in Norman against Tennessee on Sept. 21, so the Sooners either will come in riding high after notching their first win in their new league or desperate to avoid an 0-2 conference start," Staples wrote.

"Not many teams have a stretch as gnarly as that, but Auburn can make the case. The Tigers play their first five games at home, and to have the kind of season they want to have, they may need to win all five. After Auburn plays Oklahoma, it hits the road to face Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky in a four-week stretch. A loss at home to one of the SEC’s newbies would make that stretch feel even more daunting."

Hype for Oklahoma-Auburn has not been tough to come by, and another national analyst highlighting that as a game to watch further solidifies its lore.

As Freeze has said, OU better be careful what they wish for. As of right now, that's the case for AU as well.