Paul Finebaum hints at Hugh Freeze's future being an 'open question' after this year at Auburn

It’s been a rough start to the 2024 season for Hugh Freeze and Auburn with the Tigers now losing three games in a row amid a 2-4 start.

Following the team’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, Paul Finebaum appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. There, Finebaum shared that he thinks Freeze’s future is an open question after this year due to the team’s struggles this season.

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“The fact I heard one Auburn friend of mine say, ‘Hey, at least we covered the spread,'” Paul Finebaum said. “It makes me think was that Vanderbilt playing Georgia or was that Auburn? That’s the new Auburn right now and that’s what’s sad.”

Hugh Freeze took over at Auburn ahead of the 2023 season. Since then, the Tigers have a record of 8-11 and they’re just 3-8 in SEC play. Previous head coach Bryan Harsin was fired part of the way through his second season, having gone 9-12 with a 4-9 record in SEC play during his time with the program.

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“I don’t care what anyone thinks about the progress Hugh Freeze is making and how close they are, they’re about to turn the corner, and all the things I hear from everybody who gets inside the weeds. It’s October 7th, and Auburn has four losses,” Finebaum said. “That’s simply unforgivable. It’s inexcusable and that’s knowing what we all know and knowing what the schedule looks like the rest of the way. So, I didn’t take a whole lot away from this game other than it could have been a lot worse and that’s really more on Georgia than it is Auburn.”

One point of criticism for Hugh Freeze has been how he’s handled blame for the on-field struggles. In particular, he has ripped quarterback Payton Thorne multiple times this season for perceived mistakes, including the team’s turnover issue.

“He can be frustrated and he can blame players and he can throw players under the bus. He’s the head coach. He’s the one making $8 or 9 million a year and if this is too tough for Hugh Freeze, then maybe he out to find another profession,” Finebaum said.

“But, ultimately, I’m really tired of everybody getting the blame at Auburn except the guy who’s in charge of the program. It’s not easy but he’s still two years in and plenty of coaches have turned programs around in two years, especially with what’s available. He made a decision and he is paying for it and, depending on how this season ends up, it will be an open question after Thanksgiving of how much longer Hugh Freeze will have to be paying for it because the runway for him is getting more narrow by the hour.”

For now, Hugh Freeze and Auburn will look to turn things around quickly. At 0-3 in SEC play, the road ahead isn’t an easy one for the Tigers, starting with a road trip to Missouri in two weeks.