I am an Auburn fan, and at this point I am just tired. I am tired of hoping for better, tired of hearing the same excuses, and tired of watching the same mistakes take this program nowhere. And nothing summed up this disaster of a season more than Hugh Freeze throwing Jackson Arnold under the bus, even though Freeze is the one who hand picked him to lead the team. He chose Arnold. He also brought in Payton Thorne two seasons ago and we saw how it turned out. And somehow we were told all offseason that this quarterback room was finally built to compete. And then when it all fell apart, Freeze suddenly wanted to act like he was just an innocent bystander watching chaos unfold.
No. Absolutely not. He built this.
Freeze talked all summer about trust and leadership and culture. He talked about how Arnold was a perfect fit and how his arm talent would transform the offense. And look, Arnold was not perfect. Nobody is claiming that. But if Freeze thought Arnold was struggling so badly, why did he wait so long to play Ashton Daniels? Why did he cling to Arnold until the season was practically gone? Daniels showed sparks every time he touched the field, and yet Freeze sat on his hands until it was way too late. That is coaching malpractice.
And do not even get me started on the recruiting. Freeze brought in a top tier recruiting class, one of the best Auburn has had in years, and then somehow managed to do absolutely nothing with it. All that talent and we still looked disorganized, confused, and completely lost in big moments. That is not on the kids. That is on the staff.
And while we are already venting, can our defense please learn how to get off the field on third down? Or third and long? Or literally any situation where the opponent should have no business converting? How many times did we watch a team buried in third and 12 pick up a first down like it was nothing? How many times did we need one stop, just one, and instead we gave up a big play that sucked the life out of the stadium? We were ranked 32 in the nation in points per game, but it is exhausting. because we have the talent to be so much more. And it is unacceptable for a program that claims it wants to compete in the SEC. I say this with the most respect for our defense because I know we can be better.
I love Auburn. I want better for my team. I know what this program can be because we have all seen it with our own eyes. That is what makes this so frustrating. Hugh Freeze was supposed to steer this ship back on course. Instead he blamed the players he picked, mismanaged his quarterbacks, wasted a stacked recruiting class, and oversaw a defense that could not get off the field to save its life.
This is not the Auburn standard. And as fans, we deserve better. We deserve accountability. We deserve a coach who does not point fingers when things get tough. We deserve leadership that knows how to develop talent instead of wasting it. We deserve a team that does not fold on third down, a team that fights every snap, and a program that reflects the pride and passion of the Auburn family.
The bright spot though, the one thing giving me hope right now, is our new head coach. Alex Golesh. A new voice. Someone who is not tied to the drama and decisions of the past few years. Someone who can look at this roster with fresh eyes and help build confidence in it’s players. Someone who might build an offense with structure, and help take pressure off of our defense with discipline, and a culture that does not fold in the final stretch.
Auburn is special. Auburn is worth fighting for. And we better start acting like it, because this fan base is done settling for excuses.
