Hugh Freeze comments on expectations for Auburn football in 2023

In Hugh Freeze's first season on the Plains, many analysts described Auburn as a "sneaky" team over the past week at SEC Media Days but that didn't make them rank the Tigers higher in the SEC West.

Before the poll was released late in the week at media days, Freeze spoke with the media about expectations for the upcoming season.

Predictions have been somewhat all over the place, but typically towards the bottom of the SEC West. What are Freeze's expectations for what the Tigers' accomplish?

"My expectation is for us to play a passionate 60-minute football game every Saturday and hopefully it's fundamentally sound where we give our kids a chance to win some games in the fourth quarter," Freeze said.

It's not about where Auburn finishes for Freeze. He can't control that.

"I don't really set some goal on where we're going to finish in the West or where I just, man, can we just play well today at practice, then tomorrow at practice and then 60 minutes on a Saturday and see where that puts us," Freeze said. "I understand why (the media) would have us all over the place. I do. And I'm okay with that. I can't control that. But we can control how we approach preparing for the opportunities that we're going to be given. We're going to be given 12 of them just like everybody else. So we got seven at home and with Jordan Hare and we can make that even more difficult. And so what we will do with those and how we prepare is what really matters, not where somebody picks us or what the expectations are from their point."

Freeze also spoke at SEC Media Days about the Tigers' roster. When asked about what the biggest surprise was since taking over the program half a year ago, Freeze was very honest.

"I don't want to be negative. Just- it was far from what I believe an Auburn roster should look like," Freeze said. "You know, recruiting has been a little more challenging than I thought for Auburn because what I believe Auburn should be, and what is proven it can be."

The Tigers kick off the 2023 season on September 2nd at home vs UMass at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Here's a look at the entire 2023 schedule:

Sept. 2nd vs UMass

Sept. 9th at California

Sept. 16th vs Samford

Sept. 23rd at Texas A&M

Sept. 30th vs Georgia

Oct. 14th at LSU

Oct. 21st vs Ole Miss

Oct. 28th vs Mississippi State

Nov. 4th at Vanderbilt

Nov. 11th at Arkansas