Finebaum sends strong message on Freeze's Auburn football program proving JABA right

Paul Finebaum believes JABA is taking place with Hugh Freeze's Auburn football program in 2024; with Payton Thorne's benching against New Mexico seen by Finebaum as a decision Freeze didn't want to make but was pressured to by the school's boosters.

“Let me introduce you to Auburn football. If you have a mind of your own, you’re probably not going to be there very long,” Finebaum said (h/t On3). “What I think happened, and this is an opinion, somebody told him, ‘Let’s move on from Payton Thorne,’ because that did not seem like the guy who had said everything that he said about the portal and Payton Thorne and backing him after the law.

“Somebody else was calling the shots. And by the way, whoever that somebody else is, I would like them to get out of the program because they’re not doing a very good job. This program really is is turmoil right now.”

Hugh Freeze under Auburn football brain trust's thumb for giving him coaching opportunity

Freeze cannot dissent from what AU's boosters want to do. They gave him an opportunity to be a head coach in the SEC that no other program would've offered.

When Freeze was hired in November 2022, the Tigers were desparate. Bryan Harsin left them with practically no talent base in 2023 and beyond, and the fanbase was desperate for a proving entity who can turn things around quickly.

Freeze has done well in recruiting future classes, but his portal work has been lackluster, to say the least. He's a good coach with signature wins over Nick Saban -- fewer than he thought he should have, but a few nonetheless -- who has struggled to get the team together on the field on the Plains.

Freeze blamed Philip Montgomery for the failures in 2023 and is once again blaming coaches this season. He's just also blaming players now.

Perhaps the person to blame is the person, or people, behind the scenes forcing his hand and making hires and general football decisions he otherwise wouldn't make.