Nick Saban sends strong message on Auburn football during College GameDay debut

Nick Saban believes Auburn football will be the most improved team in the SEC during the 2024 season -- giving credit to the team that gave him the most trouble during his Crimson Tide coaching tenure and Hugh Freeze, who similarly gave him fits while at Ole Miss.

“I think Auburn is going to be the most-improved team in the league,” Saban admitted during his College GameDay debut on August 24 (h/t AL.com). “I really do.”

Saban's co-host Kirk Herbstreit called Auburn a potential thorn in the side of the SEC opponents this season. The College GameDay panel is not underestimating the Tigers.

John Cohen fears Alabama can still give Auburn football problems without Nick Saban

AU AD John Cohen has hope for Auburn's future, but he's not going to assume that the Tigers will take over the state of Alabama just because Saban is gone. After Saban's retirement, Cohen gave the Tide their due as a potential contender.

"Alabama won national championships before he got there and they have the potential to win them after he leaves," Cohen said in January. "I have nothing but the ultimate respect for not only Coach Saban but (Alabama athletic director) Greg Byrne. I think that my expectation is that Alabama will continue at a positive path in the sport of football."

Cohen also said that Saban's retirement has nothing to do with the Auburn Tigers. And in many ways, he's right. The Tigers' success is on its culture alone. Not what goes on elsewhere.

However, the one key way Cohen was wrong was not accounting for the weakening of key relationships Alabama experienced when switching from Saban to Kalen DeBoer. Auburn now has a Thompson pipeline because Freeze is the longest-tenured coach in the state and has the best local high school relationships.