Jordan-Hare Stadium used to be all about hosting big games with loyal fans cheering from the stands. Over time, the roars changed into sighs and the big games into feeble no-contests. All this, a result of talent depletion and poor management. Then came Hugh Freeze with a promise of taking them back to the glory days of SEC football. But it turned out to be a poor sequel to a very promising franchise. And eventually, the sighs have turned into frustration voiced by fans and analysts alike. Alums like Rob Pate have had enough.

Rob Pate voiced his frustration on the 3-man front hour 2 show of Jox 94.5 on October 9. When asked whether the frustration with Coach Freeze is growing, he replied, “I would say significantly. I would say that you know it’s pretty bad, as far as you know what the expectations were. Because I think this was the first year going in that even coach Freeze himself admitted that I’ve got a talented layer to my roster. And that we should be able to be competitive.”

Hugh Freeze improved the roster significantly through some smart recruiting. He brought in quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma. He got receiver Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. In the offensive line, he got Xavier Chaplin from Virginia Tech and Mason Murphy from USC. Defensively, he got in Jacoby Mathews, a former five-star safety from Texas A&M. In due course propelled the Tigers to a top-10 recruiting class ranking from both ESPN and 247Sports. This has fanned the flames of frustration and disbelief even more and has converted into an inferno.

An Optometrist by day in Auburn, Rob Pate further explained, “And they’ve been competitive, but they can’t get over the hump on the road. And in these big games, you just haven’t beaten the people you have to beat to be a team that competes for that championship. And so, I know everybody knew that this stretch was going to be Auburn’s toughest. I think that just the way it looked offensively has left a sour taste for a lot of people.”

Auburn started the season hot with wins against Baylor, Ball State, and Alabama. It looked like the Tigers may achieve more than the bowl finish that Hugh Freeze promised at the start of the season. But then came the stumble. In back-to-back weeks against Oklahoma and Texas A&M. In both games, the defense almost held its side of the bargain, but the offense never got going. The Sooners’ game saw a sack-fest. Jackson Arnold was sacked a record number of times. Even then, they had a chance to tie the game at the end of the 4th quarter.

The Aggies’ game followed a similar script. The Tigers’ defense contained Marcel Reed, but Texas A&M won at the line of scrimmage. Again, offensive woes didn’t help the situation.

“This is not the offensive football that I’m used to, nor is anyone else, and it starts up front.” Hugh Freeze talked about being better and expressed his disappointment at the failure of the offense.

Things have to change, and fast, as he and the Tigers are almost out of time if they want to salvage this campaign. They now take on the Bulldogs as 7.5-point underdogs at home.

The challenge ahead

Auburn faces a difficult road ahead in the remainder of the 2025 season. Several formidable opponents stand between them and their chances of salvaging an otherwise bad season. They feature in marquee contests against formidable SEC opponents and hostile road environments, and, most importantly, they need to win it all. All this combined will determine Hugh’s future with the Tigers and his credibility as a championship-winning coach.

The Tigers face No. 10 Georgia at home, which might be the most important game for Coach Freeze this season. Georgia is a firm favorite to win, as they come on the back of an impressive campaign so far. They will look to achieve the historic feat of a fourth consecutive victory in Auburn. With Auburn’s offensive struggles, it looks like a strong possibility. Following Georgia, Auburn hosts No. 18 Missouri before hitting the road for a difficult stretch that includes trips to Arkansas and No. 17 Vanderbilt.​

The back half of Auburn’s schedule presents both opportunities and obstacles. The Tigers get Kentucky at home as firm favorites. Followed by an easy matchup against FCS opponent Mercer. However, the season concludes with the Iron Bowl against No. 8 Alabama, where Auburn will face its biggest challenge in what could be Freeze’s final game if the season continues its current trajectory. ESPN’s Football Power Index projects Auburn could finish 6-6, but that requires winning three of its final seven games.