Paul Finebaum feels great about Auburn's future under Hugh Freeze after 2023 Iron Bowl

Auburn fell short on Saturday night, but it proved a point. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Paul Finebaum evaluated Auburn’s future following its nail-biting 27-24 loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

“I really love what [head coach Hugh Freeze] is doing down there,” Finebaum said. “I felt it. Being on that campus for two days, it didn’t feel like a program that has really gone nowhere for the last couple of years. It felt like an Alabama-Auburn game that was really for something more than just bragging rights.”

Alabama narrowly escaped with those bragging rights on Saturday night despite being favored by nearly two touchdowns ahead of the game. Auburn forced Alabama to fourth and goal from the 31-yard line with the game on the line.

However, after what seemed like an eternity, Crimson Tide QB Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the end zone to give Alabama the lead. With only 30 seconds left, Auburn failed to strike back. Alabama walked away with its fourth-straight win in the Iron Bowl. Nonetheless, this time was different.

The future is bright for Auburn

Last season, Alabama defeated Auburn by 22 points. In 2020, the Crimson Tide rolled over the Tigers, walking away with a comfortable 29-point victory. Finebaum believed Auburn’s performance on Saturday evening was a message to Alabama fans across the nation.

“Auburn’s program has advanced and I know what they’re doing in recruiting, and I also know people on the on the other side of the state [that] are concerned because Auburn really has things rolling right now under Hugh Freeze,” Finebaum said. “The road back is going to be a lot faster than maybe some of the skeptics predicted a year ago.”

Freeze certainly hasn’t hesitated to jumpstart his program. Auburn finished the regular season with a 6-6 record in Freeze’s debut season at the helm. The respectable campaign included wins over Arkansas, Mississippi State and California.

Freeze isn’t only improving the team’s present conditions. Auburn currently boasts the No. 15 class in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The group is headlined by five-star wide receiver Perry Thompson, but also includes 10 four-star recruits and seven three-star prospects.

Freeze has an ambitious vision for the historically successful program.

“We’re going to we’re going to be one of the elite programs in the country,” Freeze said after the game. “I really didn’t have a vision for this year other than to try to get us to a bowl game and improve us from week to week and I can’t say that every week I have felt like that – and that’s why, you know, you’re hard on yourself as a coach.”