Where Does Hugh Freeze Stand at Auburn Following Georgia Loss?

After a promosing start to the season, the Auburn Tigers have begun to spiral, resparking the debate of Hugh Freeze and the hot seat

Time could be running out for Hugh Freeze at Auburn | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.- With the Auburn Tigers now sitting at 0-3 in conference play after a 20-10 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, Tiger fans find themselves in a dilemma on how the football program should proceed with football head coach Hugh Freeze. 

At Auburn, Freeze has a 14-17 record, which includes a 5-14 record in SEC play. Auburn in the Freeze era is 2-7 at home in SEC games, even though Auburn has had 18 consecutive sellouts at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Against opponents ranked in the top-25, Auburn has a 1-11 record under Freeze. In close matchups of 10 points or less, Auburn is now 2-11 with Hugh Freeze calling the shots. 

Although most of the blame for the loss to Georgia is currently being pointed at the officiating crew, it can be easily overlooked some underlying factors as to why Auburn could not win the game despite the officiating woes. 

The Tigers were up 10-0 with the football at the Bulldogs' one-yard line. Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold lost the ball, and Georgia recovered it. After a long review, it was upheld on the field that Arnold, at least according to the officials, fumbled the football before crossing the goal line. 

In that moment in time, is when you feel the energy of the entire stadium and the team itself shift in a negative direction. Rather than rallying his troops to take back the momentum, Freeze played in a victim mentality the rest of the night.

In the second half, the offense for Auburn, right on schedule, collapsed. The offense for the Tigers has been atrocious in SEC play, while the defense shuts down the opposing team’s offenses week in and week out. Auburn averaged 1.1 yards per play in the second half and scored zero points on five second-half possessions. 

The defense for the Tigers can only hold teams for so long before opposing offenses make adjustments. And not to sound like a broken record or anything, but the Auburn offense has let down the entire defense for the third consecutive game. 

Clearly, the Auburn Tigers have the talent to compete in big games. But the players will not appear to be able to get over the hump until a coach gets them there. Freeze’s buyout at Auburn is $15.4 million, according to CBS Sports. If Auburn were to lose to the Missouri Tigers this Saturday, Freeze could find himself jobless as early as Sunday morning.

There have been lots of college football coaches fired so far this season, with Penn State’s James Franklin being the most recent. Freeze’s leash is at its shortest it has ever been, with increasing pressure incoming from Auburn fans to win football games, and not continuing to make excuses and sound like a broken record week in and week out.