With kickoff just under two months away, how are Auburn University football fans feeling?
There's a mixture of tempered optimism and long-held cynicism as millions of eyes gaze out onto the Plains, but the first official matches won't be played until the end of August.
That's the recent history of Auburn football, as told to us by friends and relatives. But fans will flock to Jordan vs. Hare, win or lose, to watch their beloved Tigers thrash their opponents for 60 minutes. What should they actually expect?
No one wants a repeat of the disappointing 2023, when any ray of hope faded under the weight of bleak results.
Trust Hugh Freeze
Hugh Freeze inherited a nightmare situation from the previous coach. The football program as a whole was in complete disarray. Auburn hadn't felt like Auburn for several seasons.
Why did they shy away from what made this program famous? A young coach who many in the media hyped as putting the program back on the map? With all due respect, the previous hire didn't help anyone on the Plains.
Auburn's hiring of a northerner as head football coach remains one of the worst modern decisions in the school's history. Alabamians wouldn't trust an Idaho recipe for peach cobbler, so why entrust the football team with a similarly bad idea? The result was a seven-year losing streak under coach Bryan Harsin that eroded the team's presence and prestige.
Hugh Freeze will use his first year to iron out mistakes and get things back on track in year two. Freeze showed the ability to win in the SEC during his time at Ole Miss. Granted, contrary to what our friends out west may say, Oxford doesn't have the same football environment, pressures and expectations. Auburn continues to recruit well under Freeze and will have a top 10 class in 2024. The payoff will come quickly.
Nuisance media
Throughout the Nick Saban era, some media figures portrayed Auburn as the poor little brother that needed the Crimson Tide to exist. Some of the same journalists got athlete-mouth disease from kissing Tuscaloosa players' feet.
Let's not forget, all the pressure is on the school's west side, in Tuscaloosa. Saban can be credited with setting a standard of excellence, but let's face it, Alabama hasn't been Alabama since the rise of Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
While the media loves their behemoths, lining up cameras in front of Bryant-Denny and declaring the stadium a football mecca, the Tigers begin to solve their problems, centered around problems of their own making.
As a result, when you inevitably see an article or a TV show about “what's wrong with Auburn,” ignore it. Focus on what's going on on the ground and listen to those who are knowledgeable about the program areas and the situation.
Better execution
With all the praise being expressed for their recruiting, Auburn will be better in 2024. The poor angles, missed tackles and blocks show this is a team that could have been better in 2023. Practice turns effort into results. Not to mention, seeing things go in your favor builds confidence.
Last year, the team missed some big plays in an acre of space. Whether it was a momentary mistake or a lapse in focus, the team missed some games a year ago. A year later, this team is better, wiser, and knows the path forward.
Moreover, James Taylor was half right when you consider that many of these players started under the previous regime – they witnessed hard attacks, rain, poor play design and a lack of urgency – and now these players live in an environment that values harder training and being treated like adults.
Refusal to give in
Some expect the Tigers to get trounced at the hands of the SEC newcomers when they face Oklahoma and eventually Texas: You don't win games by wearing hamburger horns on your helmet or pushing a rickety wagon on the field.
Sure, Texas and Oklahoma boast rosters loaded with elite players. But they still need to play games. Auburn in the Freeze era isn't going to bow down to anyone, regardless of status. If they don't back out while playing Alabama, the players in Norman and Austin aren't going to shake them.
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All indications are that Auburn has remembered who they are and what they're capable of as a football program. Will this season test their grit and resolve? Absolutely. Life in the SEC is a constant battle. But after what the program has endured in 2021 and 2022, 2024 will feel like a step in the right direction.
With Alabama A&M leading the schedule, expect the Tigers to be hotter than fish fat. Fans should go into the season with open minds and expectations and the fact that the Auburn Tigers are on the road to recovery.
