Auburn football is 3-0. Tiger fans have something to rejoice over. With nine games still ahead, and Hugh Freeze ensuring his team is unbeaten, here comes a storyline too good to ignore. Because next weekend, Auburn faces Oklahoma, the very place they got transfer QB Jackson Arnold from. When he left Norman, many saw Arnold as someone exiting a difficult situation: instability at offensive coordinator, injured receivers, and protection breakdowns. At SEC Media Days, coach Hugh Freeze acknowledged those challenges and expressed confidence that Auburn had the tools and scheme to help Arnold rebuild.

During the post game presser, a reporter asked Hugh Freeze how he planned to block out the outside chatter. “I don’t, the noise won’t bother me at all,” said Freeze. “I’m not on (social media) much anymore. I don’t even know what happens very much, so there won’t be any noise that bothers me. What will bother me is what I see on tape. That we’ve got to get prepared for to play a road game in this league, which is always difficult against a really good football team.” Last season, Oklahoma stunned Auburn 27-21 at Jordan-Hare, erasing an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim their first-ever SEC win.

“That’s my total focus, and finding a plan that gives him a chance, and our offense and defense a chance to have success in that environment,” Freeze said. He also admitted that preparing for the game is easier for him than for Jackson, given all the emotions involved. He praised Arnold’s maturity, noting that dwelling on past losses won’t help. Arnold then pitched in with his views.

“I think I’m not on social media either, so there’s no noise for me,” joked Arnold while giving a wink to the media. But he then quickly turned serious. “I’m just worried about going to practice every day and being the best version of myself. Off the field, watching tape, watching OU, just locking in and doing my job throughout the week.” said Arnold. His words carry a mix of humor, accountability, and focus, along with a clear message that he’s locked in, on and off the field.

Jackson Arnold is off to a blazing start in 2025 for Auburn. The Oklahoma transfer has thrown for 359 yards and three TDs, in just two games, completing nearly 78% of his passes with a 166.8 rating. However, he’s not just a passer. Arnold’s a dual-threat, rushing for 142 yards and two scores, including a career-high 137-yard in the opener. Smart, versatile, and fearless, he’s already driving Auburn’s 3–0 start and showing that this season could be something special. But despite the Week 3 win, Hugh Freeze didn’t shy away from acknowledging a major disappointment.

Auburn has a secondary problem

Auburn rolled to a 31-15 win over South Alabama on Saturday. But the victory came with a glaring problem: the secondary. Freeze was visibly disappointed. His defensive unit struggled throughout the game, exposing weaknesses that must be fixed before the SEC slate begins. The head coach did not hide his frustration in the postgame press conference.

“We certainly have got to fit the run better… There’s no question that we could play better than we did today… I’m not sure anyone would say that we played to the standard we need to win games in the following weeks,” he said. The Tigers’ defense gave up 19 first downs, nine in the first half and ten in the second, and looked especially vulnerable in the 4th quarter as South Alabama converted multiple key plays.

Freeze was aware of this problem and even mentioned it during his halftime on field interview by saying, “Defensively, we look like we’re sleepwalking. It’s frustrating. And we’d rather talk too much than line up and play. We have to get some things corrected. We seem to care more about talking than playing… We’re not defending the counter very well. It’s just like we’re half speed to me. They’re pretty good on offense, but we’re kind of slopping around, it feels like.” Auburn’s secondary, in its current state, will get exposed against the Sooners. Freeze and Arnold need to come up with the perfect game plan or start entertaining the idea of accepting their first loss of the season.