Auburn Tigers:

Hugh Freeze inherited an Auburn team that went 5-7 in 2022 and he led the Tigers to a 6-7 season. That really should have been a 7-6 season, too. Auburn inexplicably lost by 21 points in a home game against New Mexico State before facing Alabama in the Iron Bowl the following week. If that game wasn’t played in a trap week, the Tigers probably go over .500. But either way, Auburn picked up an extra win 2023 and also played Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama extremely close. That makes it hard not to view Freeze’s first year as a success. 

Freeze will now look to turn in a winning season with the Tigers, which will be a difficult task in a loaded SEC. But the Tigers do have a very favorable schedule, especially when it comes to home games. And even if things don’t turn around immediately, the future is bright for Auburn. Freeze landed a top-10 recruiting class in 2024, giving him high-level talent to develop. He’s holding his own against the class of the SEC in the recruiting department, and doing that consistently will yield results eventually.  

 

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Offense

Auburn’s offense was a nightmare in the first half of the 2023 season, but things got a lot crisper once Freeze took back play-calling duties. This year, the group should be able to take a sizable step forward. Payton Thorne is an experienced quarterback who should build on what was an up-and-down campaign in his first year with the Tigers. He improved as last season went along and should benefit from improved offensive line play. 

Thorne is also going to be working in a system that should be a good fit for him. The option will be a staple for Auburn in 2024, and that’s not a bad thing with a good run-blocking line and a star in the backfield in Jarquez Hunter. 

Thorne will also have some absolute studs at the wide receiver position this year. There are some returners in the mix, but Cam Coleman is a 6-foot-3 stud and should be an NFL player someday. There’s a lot of hype surrounding him and the rest of the freshmen wideouts on this team. 

Defense

Ron Roberts didn’t end up doing a good job with last year’s group, so Freeze went out and hired DJ Durkin. Last year, Durkin’s defense gave up only 21.3 points per game at Texas A&M. He has been a productive coordinator and defensive mind for his entire coaching career, and he’ll have a very talented group to work with at Auburn. 

Jalen McLeod can really get after the quarterback and the Tigers have a solid group of pass-rushers to prevent him from seeing consistent double teams. Honestly, Auburn’s entire group of linebackers looks awesome on paper. Also, corners Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee headline a secondary that should be a lot sturdier in 2024. Auburn gave up a ton of big plays over the top last year, but that shouldn’t be the case this season. 

Outlook

The Tigers have a real shot at winning seven games at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Their toughest of eight home games will be against Oklahoma and Texas A&M, but I trust them to win one of those two. That makes it hard not to like the Over on their team total. I think the offense will be a lot better in 2024, and this defense has some dudes. This play could come down to whether or not Auburn wins at Kentucky on October 26th. 

Pick: Over 7.5 Wins

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