Well, the 2025 season is going to be extra tough for Auburn Tigers HC Hugh Freeze. The 55-year-old coach is battling a health battle after being diagnosed with early stages of prostate cancer. On the other hand, he has got a lot to prove after the 5-7 overall record last season. While there must be too many things on Freeze’s plate, college football analyst Josh Pate thought of helping the HC to find their path to the College Football Playoffs. Meanwhile, for the folks doubting Hugh Freeze’s QB Jacskon Arnold’s future, it comes with a twist.
The Tigers have claimed two national championships- 1957 and 2010. However, they have never made the College Football Playoff (CFP) since its inception in 2014. It was in 2017, that they were nearest to the opportunity. Last season did expose quite a lot of cracks in Freeze’s army that came off as an early signal about them not making the playoffs. First things first: their QB situation was not that great. The QB Payton Thorne’s performance has dropped in each successive season since 2021. Last season, he threw four interceptions in Auburn’s loss against Cal. The WR room was not that great either. Freeze’s WR Cam Coleman fell prey to a shoulder injury and Perry Thompson caught just four passes for 123 yards. Here enters Pate with a shot of motivation- a CFP script.
On the March 18 episode of the Dukesthescoop podcast, the analyst joined host Phillip Dukes. There came Pate’s blueprint for the Tigers’ CFP success. “The script wouldn’t be that complicated really the script would be stop turning the ball over.” Freeze’s boys recorded 13 interceptions this past season. The Auburn defense forced 4 turnovers in the Iron Bowl. Pate holds high expectations from Freeze’s boys. “They’re going to be a solid plus turnover team this year. I feel really good about them… if you do that that means Jackson Arnold panned out for you at quarterback first off.” Plus their recruiting class is also a big turn-on.
Auburn’s 25-man class is a consensus top-10 class, with 247Sports ranking the class No. 6 nationally. The analyst thus finds out the positives in Freeze’s army. “You just think about the collection of talent that’s now baked in for your third year to that roster, if you don’t have turnover issues… they were the best what 5-7 lost team I’ve ever seen last year because of that that one stat category.” So, even if the HC gets blessed with the CFP script, a lot depends on his QB Jackson Arnold.
Josh Pate’s verdict on Hugh Freeze’s QB Jackson Arnold and the supporting actors
Now the question remains will Freeze’s new QB Jackson Arnold bring back the spark that went missing in Auburn? Back in Oklahoma, the QB came up with 1,421 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, still doubts prevailed. The questions surrounding Arnold were – “Can he play with mistake-free ball that sometimes we didn’t see out of Payton Thorne?” “How good is Jackson Arnold and can he play with a lot more consistency?” Now suppose, Freeze’s QB has all the tools, he would still need some firepower.
Freeze did bring in some firepower in Auburn. Wake Forest wide receiver Horatio Fields. Don’t forget the formidable offensive line consisting of the trio – Xavier Chaplin, Mason Murphy, and Connor Lew. So is it enough for Arnold? Pate answered, “Maybe. That’s the best I can give you.” After all, the QB has already proven himself back in Oklahoma before moving into Freeze’s squad. However, there comes a catch.
According to the analyst, “What I worry about is all of that has to has to precipitate sort of downstream of good decision making.” Now was it a clear attack towards HC Dabo Swinney? Maybe. Maybe not. But the HC has already landed in the hot seat for his coaching strategies. As SEC Mike once said, “They have a lot more talent than they’ve been showing, and clearly that is a sign of poor coaching.” Following Josh Pate’s CFP script is key, but Swinney must also fine-tune his coaching craft.
The post Hugh Freeze’s CFP Fate Hinges on One Major Fix as Josh Pate Confirms Twist in Jackson Arnold’s Auburn Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.
