It's really feeling like it's going to be now or never for Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze. We don't have to tell you that his first two seasons with the Tigers have been a complete and total disappointment - fans have lost patience with him.
He's now getting ready for what will prove to be a crucial Year 3 with Auburn and he has no excuses moving forward. Throughout the summer, the oddsmakers in Vegas have had the Tigers as Week 1 favorites for the late August showdown with Baylor. However, that's no longer the case.
That's right, Auburn is now a small underdog for this showdown with the Big 12 side and the Auburn faithful have certainly taken notice. Could a stunning Week 1 loss be on the way for the SEC squad? Goodness, we sure hope not:
Auburn is now a 1.5 point underdog in their Friday night season opener at Baylor according to @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/fV3W1GAVHz
— Taylor Korn (@TaylorKornTNR) July 28, 2025
Auburn football is suddenly the underdog in Week 1 against Baylor
Come Aug. 29 at 8 p.m., the pressure is going to be on for Auburn to try and silence the crowd at McLane Stadium in Texas. Yup, it's going to be a tough road environment for Freeze and his playmakers, but that's something they'll need to overcome.
There will also be no camp controversy at the quarterback position for the Tigers, as Freeze has already said that Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold will be his starting QB this season. Arnold is motivated to silence all of the haters he has out there.
Arnold has high expectations for himself and he's going to want to deliver for his team. With that said, Freeze went 6-7 during his first season on campus, losing in the Music City Bowl. Then last campaign, the Tigers went 5-7, which was totally unacceptable.
With this being such an important season for him, the last thing Freeze can see happen is his team suffer a Week 1 loss to Baylor. After '24, countless people were calling for him to get fired. With a loss to Baylor next month, those same calls will return, only much, much louder.