Auburn preview: Will Hugh Freeze launch the Tigers back into relevance?
The problem with Auburn is that the Tigers are always relevant.
Even when the team’s have a steaming fat turd of a season, Auburn is relevant.
Because it’s Auburn. They’ve won National Championships. They’ve gone to National Championship Games. Batshit crazy things happen on The Plains often. The fanbase is rabid. The Eagle is cool. Oh, and they are in the SEC.
And now, they’ve hired one of the steamiest turds in college football in Hugh Freeze, who in one mouth spouts Jesus and on the other hand chats to hookers and get in trouble with the NCAA.
But regardless of everything you might think of him, he’s a pretty damned fun football coach. He has a 103-47 record, is 5-2 in bowl games and how’s how to beat Alabama. And while his SEC record (19-21) isn’t great, a lot of this is to do with the hand he was given when he arrived (the lot was poisoned after Ed Orgeron).
Anyway, the fun starts here…
WHO’S TRANSFERRED IN
Getting Payton Thorne in from Michigan State was a pretty good move by the Tigers. He’ll provide the experience as Robbie Ashford moves to the next level….or a good back-up. In his time at Michigan State, he threw for well over 6,000 yards, 49 TDs and 24 INTs, and had a 61% completion rate – and that improved year-on-year.
Freeze did not exactly sound ecstatic. “We had players we added after spring ball, and one’s a quarterback and I haven’t coached him a single practice and everyone’s asking, ‘What do you think?’ I have no idea.”
Also coming in are seven players who’s arrived post-Spring Practice. “It makes me feel a little bit anxious that I may be behind in our evaluation of who we are and what we can do,” Freeze said at the SEC Media Days. “Maybe we are. That’s a feeling I have to battle.”
My question: Is this simply a ruse to get Auburn fans’ expectations even lower, or a shot aimed at his higher ups, or an acknowledgement that Ashford simply isn’t good?
Also, Freeze filled out his offensive line with transfers from solid talent from Non-Power 5 teams.
THE OFFENSE
I would say that there are high hopes for the offense, but if we’re quite honest, it was such complete and utter crap that it can’t get a lot lower.
Auburn could be missing its top running back, Jarquez Hunter for a long time after he was suspended by the team pending a further investigation (apparently it’s something to do with a sex tape, which is ironic bearing in mind Hugh Freeze’s past), which is going to be a massive, erm, blow. USF transfer Brian Battle will be leading the way. He had well over 1,800 yards and 10 TDs in Tampa last year.
Auburn will also be targeting TE Rivaldo Fairweather, WR Nick Mardner (who’s on his third school after Hawaii and Cincinnati), Jyaire Shorter. Former four-star Caleb Burton comes in from Ohio State, where he comes from a pretty good locker room of wide receivers. They will partner Ja’Varius Johnson, who was Auburn’s leading receiver last year with a fairly pitiful 493 yards and 3 TDs.
THE DEFENSE
The Tigers have brought Ron Roberts, who comes in after a three-year stint at Baylor.
D-Lineman Justin Rogers has come from Kentucky, LB Jalen McCloud from Appy State, Ole Miss LB Austin Keys, and Vandy edge rusher Elijah McAllister. LB Cam Riley – the team’s second-best tackler with 65 tackles will lead the team’s defensive unit.
The secondary will be led by CB starter Jaylin Simpson as well as Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James.
PREDICTION
UMass: W
at Cal: W
Samford: W
at Texas A&M: L
Georgia: L
at LSU: L
Ole Miss: L
Mississippi State: W
at Vanderbilt: W
at Arkansas: L
New Mexico State: W
Alabama: L
Thanks to a laughable non-conference schedule and the fact that they are playing Vanderbilt and a not-going-to-be-great Mississippi State, Auburn will go a bowl-eligible 6-6, but only 2-6 in the SEC, including heavy losses at Georgia, LSU and Alabama. Payton Thorne at the helm should be a lot of fun, but will the new transfer bed in in time for Cal (we consider UMass a practice game!).