Hugh Freeze Takes Brutal Reality Check on Auburn’s CFP Hopes After Owning Up to Costly Blunders.

When Hugh Freeze was hired as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers in 2022, there was a buzz on The Plains. He was supposed to be the man who could bring Auburn football back to national relevance. With his offensive ingenuity and prior SEC experience, fans and boosters alike believed Freeze could restore Auburn’s presence in the College Football Playoff (CFP) discussion. But after a rocky performance and a series of tough losses in 2024, Freeze is facing a sobering truth—and he’s not shying away from it.

Following a gut-wrenching 27–20 loss to Ole Miss in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Freeze spoke candidly to the media. With Auburn’s record slipping to 7–4, and the CFP picture now entirely out of focus, the second-year head coach offered a brutal assessment of the Tigers’ trajectory.

“I didn’t do a good enough job,” Freeze said postgame. “There were decisions I made that cost us momentum, cost us field position, and honestly, may have cost us the game. That falls on me.”

The loss to Ole Miss was just the latest in a season that has seen the Tigers stumble in key moments. Whether it was questionable clock management, red zone inefficiencies, or puzzling fourth-down decisions, the margin for error in the SEC has proven too small for any slip-ups.

Freeze’s moment of accountability came after Auburn squandered multiple opportunities late in the game. Down by seven with just over four minutes left, the Tigers marched to the Ole Miss 18-yard line. Facing a 4th-and-2, Freeze opted against a field goal attempt to make it a one-possession game and instead called for a read-option that was stuffed for a loss.

Ole Miss ran out the clock, and the home crowd that had hoped for a signature SEC win was left stunned in silence.

“We had the look we wanted,” Freeze said. “But in hindsight, kicking the field goal might have given us a better shot. That’s on me.”

It wasn’t just the fourth-down call that drew scrutiny. Earlier in the game, Freeze burned two timeouts in the first quarter due to substitution issues, leaving the Tigers short-handed during a critical two-minute drill before halftime. The mismanagement, combined with misfires from quarterback Payton Thorne and a defense that looked gassed in the final quarter, added up to another frustrating finish.

For all of Freeze’s shortcomings this season, one thing he hasn’t done is deflect blame. Unlike many coaches who hide behind coach-speak or point fingers at execution, Freeze has taken full ownership of Auburn’s failures.

“If we’re going to build something that lasts here,” Freeze said, “it starts with me being honest—first with myself and then with the team. I’ve made mistakes, and it’s my job to fix them.”

His honesty has struck a chord with some Auburn fans, who appreciate the transparency even as they yearn for better results.

But the honeymoon is over.

Auburn entered the 2024 season with hopes of at least flirting with the CFP conversation. After all, the program landed a top-10 recruiting class, dipped heavily into the transfer portal, and had momentum after a promising close to 2023. Instead, Freeze’s squad has faltered in every key opportunity: losses to Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and now Ole Miss have all but sealed their postseason ceiling to a mid-tier bowl game.

The brutal truth is this: Auburn is not a CFP contender. Not this year.

The Tigers may finish the regular season 8–4 or 7–5 depending on how they fare against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, but neither record moves the needle nationally. In the expanded 12-team playoff format beginning in 2024, an 8–4 team with strong metrics could theoretically sneak in. But Auburn hasn’t shown the consistency or quality wins necessary to earn such a bid.

Their offensive line play has been shaky, the quarterback situation unstable, and the play-calling often questionable. Even the defense, long a strength of Auburn teams, has buckled in key moments.

“We’ve got talent,” Freeze said, “but we don’t have championship depth yet. And that’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight.”

Freeze’s remarks, while refreshingly honest, don’t offer much comfort to a fanbase that has grown restless. The SEC West is unforgiving, and patience is in short supply when Alabama, Georgia, and LSU are dominating the national conversation.

The Tigers’ inability to win a signature game this year has also led to concerns on the recruiting trail. Auburn’s 2025 class, once ranked in the top five, has slipped in recent months amid speculation that key targets are leaning elsewhere. The decommitment of four-star defensive end Elias Crawford—a player Freeze personally recruited—was a gut punch.

The optics matter. Recruits watch games like the Ole Miss loss and ask themselves, “Is this a program on the rise?” Freeze knows it.

“We’ve got to show them we’re building something real,” he said. “That takes time, but more importantly, it takes winning games like this.”

Freeze may get one last chance to shift the narrative in 2024: the Iron Bowl.

Beating Alabama—especially if the Crimson Tide are in CFP contention—would not only redeem much of the season, it would also serve as a statement win to recruits and boosters alike.

But it won’t be easy. Alabama’s offense, led by quarterback Jalen Milroe and a nasty ground game, has found its rhythm. And their defense, once vulnerable, has grown into one of the more disciplined units in the SEC.

If Auburn wants any chance, Freeze must coach the game of his life.

“The Iron Bowl is different,” Freeze said. “Records don’t matter. Stats don’t matter. It’s about pride, execution, and who wants it more.”

He’s right. But even a win over Alabama would merely mask the bigger issue: Auburn is still miles behind the nation’s top programs in terms of roster construction, consistency, and discipline.

Looking beyond 2024, Freeze has to answer some hard questions.

• Is Payton Thorne the long-term answer at quarterback?
  With Robby Ashford transferring and true freshman Walker White still developing, Freeze may hit the portal again in search of a signal-caller who fits his offense.
• Can Auburn develop offensive identity?
  This season, the Tigers oscillated between power run schemes and spread concepts, but never established a clear offensive rhythm. Without that, winning consistently in the SEC is a longshot.
• Will boosters stay patient?
  Auburn is infamous for its booster influence and quick coaching leashes. Freeze still has support, but back-to-back years of mediocrity could change that calculus quickly.
• Can Freeze keep the 2025 class intact?
  With Georgia and Alabama lurking, keeping top recruits like four-star WR Mike Morgan and five-star OL Quincy Sellers committed will be key. A strong close to the season—especially with a win over Alabama—could help stabilize the class.

Hugh Freeze’s candid self-assessment was necessary. It may even earn him some grace in the short term. But Auburn fans are not known for their patience, and while rebuilding is a process, Year 2 is often where judgment begins.

Freeze didn’t inherit a juggernaut, but he did inherit expectations. And after a 7–4 start marked by inconsistency and missed opportunities, the CFP dream is officially over—for now.

But perhaps this is the low point that sets the foundation for growth.

“You don’t get to the top without walking through some valleys,” Freeze said. “This is one of them. But I believe in what we’re building.”

Whether Auburn fans believe too will depend largely on what comes next—and whether Freeze learns from the costly blunders that brought him to this moment of reckoning.