On September 21, Hugh Freeze and the No. 22 Tigers are storming into Oklahoma for their first-ever crack at the No. 11-ranked Sooners. But it’s not just about the matchup. It’s about banged-up rosters, a quarterback facing his old crew, and a head coach dropping updates like a fax machine. Ahead of their SEC season-opener, Freeze didn’t just talk strategy — he threw down a reality check about his depth chart and gave the latest on his walking-wounded squad.

Auburn’s been patching itself together since South Alabama. Key Tigers like Damari Alston, Malcolm Simmons, Rayshawn Pleasant, and Champ Anthony all sat out. Add to that No.1 transfer portal wideout Eric Singleton Jr., Jay Crawford, and Amaris Williams, who tapped out mid-game. Freeze didn’t sugarcoat it either. “If I had to say today, I would think the biggest concern would be Amaris,” Freeze admitted. Translation? His defensive line rotation could be thinner.

That stings because Williams has been quietly stacking reps. The sophomore edge rusher logged 74 snaps through three weeks, earning three tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and half a sack. That production matters, especially with Keldric Faulk anchoring the front. If Williams can’t go, true freshman Jared Smith gets a bigger eat-time. Smith already logged against South Alabama, tallying a sack and a forced fumble, but Norman linemen aren’t as same as Mobile. Facing the Sooners’ offensive line and getting a sack is one hell of a job.

Meanwhile, Freeze didn’t hide his respect for Brent Venables’ defensive unit. He dropped this gem: “They’ve only given up one touchdown this year. They’re very stingy, very physical. Obviously last year had the good experience against them, and he (Venables) does a great job, and he’s got great players… And I watch this tape, I’m looking at a team that should be in playoff discussions. They’re that talented and that good.” Oklahoma’s defense is No. 4 nationally, giving up just 191 yards a game. Auburn’s been eating on the ground, chewing up 726 rushing yards and 10 TDs through three games, but their passing attack has looked more trial-and-error.

Freeze knows this is the biggest bar fight his offense has stepped into. Sure, Auburn’s ‘if it works, it works’ mantra got them by Baylor, Ball State, and South Alabama, but Oklahoma’s D-line will test whether that philosophy survives SEC reality.

Hugh Freeze isn’t relying on Jackson Arnold’s expertise to learn the Sooners’ game plan

Now, let’s talk about the elephant rocking the Plains — Jackson Arnold’s homecoming tour. The former 5-star’s Oklahoma chapter reads like a hype reel turned cautionary tale. Five-star phenom out of Texas, dropped in Norman in 2023 as Dillon Gabriel’s heir, and even got the Alamo Bowl start against Arizona. Flashed wheels, flashed an arm, but also coughed it up too much. By 2024, Arnold’s résumé stacked 1,421 passing yards, 12 TDs, plus 444 yards and 3 scores on the ground. The peak? A monster upset of Alabama, where he gashed the Tide for 131 rushing yards. The valley? Benched mid-season, confidence shot, came back and bullied Bama, and then signed the transfer papers.

So yeah, now he’s rocking Auburn orange and about to stare down his old teammates. You’d think Freeze would be mining Arnold’s brain like it’s a cheat code, right? Wrong. The Auburn HC waved that off quickly: “We haven’t really talked about that. We’ve talked about the stadium atmosphere and things of that nature. I’ve never been there. I assume that it’s going to be like an SEC stadium, and he confirmed that. How tight the benches are… As far as schematics, we’re going with what our breakdowns say and what we see on tape from this year.” Freeze trusts film, not gossip.

That might actually be a flex. Arnold’s not being asked to play double agent; he’s being asked to ball. And so far? He’s been doing just that. Against Baylor, he barely threw for 108 yards, but he cooked on the ground with 137 and 2 rushing scores. Then against Ball State — Arnold suddenly became an old-school gunslinger and dropped 251 and 3 TDs through the air, showing he can spin it just as nasty as he can tuck it.

Then came South Alabama, where he balanced it all again with three more touchdowns. Three weeks, three styles, same outcome: Auburn W’s. Arnold’s dual-threat game is exactly why Auburn can’t just fold against a top-five defense. If he keeps defenses guessing — legs one week, arm the next, or both at once — the Tigers got a puncher’s chance even in Norman’s storm.