Auburn’s last two losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma have raised some serious concerns for the Tigers, especially for their starting QB, Jackson Arnold. The beginning was a statement of promise for Arnold. Like the Baylor game, where he rushed for a career-high 137 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat ability. He also threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns against Ball State, helping Auburn dominate. But soon the magic started to fade out, and his struggles under pressure became glaringly obvious.

Arnold’s sacking issues have become a major pullback in Auburn. And ESPN’s Bill Connelly hasn’t minced words, calling it an “increasing disaster.” Bill Smith of Jox 94.5 highlights Connelly’s words, saying, “Arnold has completed at least 65% of his passes in three of five games with zero interceptions on the year, but he has taken at least four sacks three times. And he has taken 14 in the past two games.” Bill continued, “his protection is poor, and holding on to the ball too long is getting him cons constantly without any threat of big plays. He’s averaging 9.7 yards per completion. This is an increasing disaster.”

Arnold’s yards per dropback peaked in games against Baylor and Ball State, soaring over seven yards. But after week 5, it has plunged to under three as the sacks keep piling up. He has been sacked at least four times in three different games, with a jaw-dropping 14 sacks happening in just the last two contests. Plus, the Tigers’ offensive line hasn’t done Arnold any favors. The offensive line committed multiple false starts, killing drives before they could even get going. But the bigger issue? Arnold is holding onto the ball too long. He has actually had one of the longest average times to throw the ball this season among FBS quarterbacks, with nearly 3 seconds before he releases the ball.

And even the PFF grades are speaking the same language. “Jackson Arnold, according to PFF,” Smith said. “His overall offensive grade when pressured by defenses is tied for 39th worst in all of college football.” The thing is, Arnold gets more time to throw than most quarterbacks, but he still struggles to take advantage, which leads to wasted plays and too many sacks. And on top of that, he seems hesitant to trust his receivers and get rid of the football quickly. “As much as they hate to say it, this is on the staff,” Bill echoed the same sentiment. “Jackson Arnold on those players. They’ve been put in really bad positions, especially in these last two games, and why they continue to drop back.”

The stats back it up. Auburn punted nine times against Texas A&M and went a dismal 0-for-13 on third downs. Arnold was sacked five times in that game alone. But it’s not all on Arnold. Auburn’s offensive line showed cracks, too, with transfer Xavier Chaplin racking up five false starts in those same two games. But receivers like Eric Singleton Jr. and Cam Coleman have shown they can win tough catches. Singleton made a circus catch last week against Texas A&M’s star defender Will Lee III, and Coleman has repeatedly pulled in contested catches despite tight coverage. Now the problem lies with the QB’s confidence in its weapons. When your QB doesn’t trust his weapons enough to let it fly, especially in the SEC, it’s a problem.

Meanwhile, the Tigers’ 16-10 loss to the Aggies was a major wake-up call for Hugh Freeze

Hugh Freeze’s take on Jackson Arnold and Co. after the loss against the Aggies

Hugh Freeze didn’t really mince words while calling the offensive performance “unacceptable.” And why wouldn’t he? The loss marked Auburn’s second straight defeat, following its stumble against Oklahoma. The Tigers managed only 176 total yards, an embarrassing stat compared to the Aggies’ racking up 414 yards.

More glaring was the struggle on third downs. Auburn converted just 3 of 27 attempts across both losses. But Freeze didn’t blame the players, insisting, “That’s not on the kids,” and instead said, “Our kids are playing too hard.” And despite the offensive woes, Freeze was particularly proud of the Auburn defence. “Our defense played their tails off and well enough to win the game,” he said.

What makes this even more painful is the buildup of high expectations around Auburn’s offense in the offseason. Freeze had praised the offensive line, claiming six players to be NFL draft prospects. With a bye week to regroup, Auburn is at a crossroads. Fix the offensive mistakes, or this season’s promising start could spiral into a lost cause.