Auburn’s 2024 team is only 2-4 halfway through the season. In spite of high hopes for a team that ought to have made significant progress, Hugh Freeze’s second season has been utterly disappointing.
The second half of the season is unquestionably the tougher half, which is dangerous for the Tigers. It begins on Saturday with a trip to Missouri and continues the next week with a trip to Kentucky. Although it is unlikely that this team will win both games, they could return to Jordan-Hare with a split record (3-5). The worst-case scenario is that by the time they get home, they will have already dropped six games, but that is still very likely.
The following Vanderbilt game is not a sure thing. Diego Pavia was the quarterback of the New Mexico State squad that defeated Auburn in the previous season, and the Commodores had already upset Alabama this season.
Auburn’s game against Louisiana-Monroe on November 16th at home is their last remaining real break in the schedule.
Next up is a home game against Texas A&M. The Aggies have appeared formidable and vulnerable at different points in time. Auburn has a genuine chance to win this if the A&M that appeared weak against Notre Dame and Arkansas shows up. A couple Payton Thorne selections will probably be enough to undo the Tigers if the A&M team that defeated Florida and Missouri is the one we see.
Of course, Auburn’s season closes against Alabama, and Iron Bowl is held in Tuscaloosa this year. The Tigers have only recently faced the Tide tough on the road against players like Nick Marshall and Cam Newton. It has always happened at Jordan-Hare when an underachieving Auburn team has forced the Tide into serious trouble.
The Tigers’ lone remaining game on the schedule is a victory against ULM. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Missouri are all close games. When Auburn plays Alabama and Texas A&M, they will be heavy underdogs. On the plains, heading into that slate at 2-4, seems bleak.
Regression is looking more and more likely in 2024 after Freeze achieved bowl eligibility in his debut season.
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