Hugh Freeze makes eyebrow-raising statement on Auburn's place among elites to Finebaum
Hugh Freeze was realistic about Auburn's expectations during the 2024 season while speaking to Paul Finebaum; avoiding making promises for the Tigers to win eight to 10 games against a schedule that includes the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Mizzou.
That was straightforward. Nothing too headline-worthy.
What was headline-worthy was Freeze's metaphor in the wake of a rumored "gun culture" in Colorado's locker room that Deion Sanders oversees. Freeze questioned whether or not Auburn "has enough bullets in the gun" to win eight to ten games on their schedule.
"Do we have enough bullets in the gun yet to play eight to 10 games against really, really good teams in this league and be able to pull them off? I'm uncertain of that," Freeze said on The Paul Finebaum Show (h/t On SI). "But I do think these young kids we signed are really talented, and we're going to have to depend upon them."
Did Freeze say what he did to directly reference Sanders' program amidst outrage at Colorado GA Warren Sapp saying, "We got bullets you get shot with a .38 or 9mm, you pick it"? Probably not. Freeze is from Oxford, Mississippi. That's why that metaphor is on his mind.
But you just know that Freeze and the SEC head coaches group chat he admitted is real has been having a field day regarding all the rumors Sanders and his Buffs have been tied to this offseason.
Hugh Freeze has a squeaky clean locker room compared to Deion Sanders
By all accounts, Freeze has a well-behaved locker room. After arriving on the Plains, he claimed he didn't want to deal with off-field drama. It's a polar opposite situation compared to Sanders, who was a rumored coaching candidate for Auburn in 2022.
Sanders has been accused by Athlon Sports' Steve Corder of fostering a culture of fighting and allowing his son Shilo to bully 5-star CB Cormani McClain into transferring. Then, of course, there's the gun accusations Corder has repeatedly reiterated.
Choosing Freeze has led AU to quiet news cycles, especially relative to Bryan Harsin. Ultimately, Tiger fans are happy they got a quiet guy who had to behave to stay in the SEC after being previously banned as opposed to a coach in Sanders who isn't reined in at all by CU's brain trust and refuses to be.