The proud program has the 2nd worst record in the SEC ahead of only Vanderbilt the last 3 seasons.
They did Gus Malzahn kind of dirty then whiffed on the desparation Bryan Harsin hire that never made sense.
Auburn hired the lightning rod Hugh Freeze to clean up their mess.
And I would be lying if I said I did not like the hire.
The Tigers finished 6-7 in Year One under Freeze.
Do the Tigers take a step forward in Year 2 under Freeze?
Let’s break down the key questions.
- Can Payton Thorn be a decent QB?
I was surprised that Auburn did not make a move to grab a new QB in the transfer portal.
Thorn was horrendous in 2023 leading the SEC in INTs and finishing near the bottom in all passing stats.
The Tigers opted to stay with the 6th year QB hoping he can bounce back.
To be honest, Thorn did not get much help last year.
Their offensive line SUCKED.
And the playmakers at WR were non-existent.
The only pass catcher worth anything was their Tight End and he is back.
Freeze took over play calling towards the end of the season and that did help some too.
There will be less excuses for Thorn this season as everything around him looks much improved.
Will that be enough to get Thorn to become a decent passer again?
He does have good mobility at least.
- Will the defense regress?
Auburn hired DJ Durkin to be their new DC after finishing 47th in total defense last year.
While I do respect Durkin, the defense lost a lot and returns only 4 starters.
The LBs look pretty solid but there are questions both up front and in the secondary.
- Can Auburn win on the road?
I have said that Jordan-Hare Stadium is easily one of the most underrated environments in college football for years.
Their fan base is loyal & loud.
Winning there is no joke no matter if Auburn is good or bad.
The problem is winning on the road in the SEC especially with shaky QB play.
The SEC road schedule is an absolute bear with trips to Georgia, Kentucky, Mizzou & Alabama.
There’s a fairly likely shot they lose all four of those.
Draft Kingshas Auburn’s win total set at 7.5.
Will they go over or under?
The Tigers will crash in October dropping all 3 SEC road games at Kentucky, Georgia & Mizzou.
We will find out how real the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn truly is in 2025.
