Paul Finebaum says Hugh Freeze is ‘wearing thin’ at Auburn after another rivalry loss
By David Wasson
Published:
ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum didn’t pull any punches when appearing on Sunday’s Matt Barrie Show when he was asked about embattled Auburn coach Hugh Freeze following the Tigers’ 20-10 home loss to No. 10 Georgia.
“Would Auburn had won if they went up 17-0 which they absolutely should have? I like their chances. But that doesn’t excuse them from doing anything in the second half,” Finebaum said. “Hugh Freeze is wearing thin. Some coaches, when you watch after a loss, you feel better, you feel confident, you feel emboldened. Not Hugh Freeze. You feel the opposite.”
Finebaum also pointed out that Auburn’s remaining schedule also includes tests against No. 16 Missouri, No. 17 Vanderbilt and No. 6 Alabama.
“If you can’t beat Alabama at home, that would mean in 3 years he has gone 0-fer against his top 2 rivals,” Finebaum. “That doesn’t work well in the Auburn family. Those games mean more than anything else, and the Georgia game is just a fraction behind the Alabama game.”
Freeze is now just 14-17 at the helm at Auburn, and just 5-14 against SEC opponents since being hired to replace Bryan Harsin in 2023. Auburn itself has not recorded a winning season since 2020, when the Tigers went 6-5 in Gus Malzahn’s final season.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
