Paul Finebaum assesses Hugh Freeze's status on hot seat, warns against Iron Bowl loss

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum assesses the hot seat on Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and it could come down to the Iron Bowl to save his job. The Tigers’ coach is in a very awkward spot following the latest loss to Georgia.

He is 3-3 this season and 14-17 through nearly three years at the school. Auburn has a precarious schedule coming out and it seems like an eight-win season might be what brings Freeze back for Year 4 in 2026.

Granted, Auburn lost games to Oklahoma and Georgia over the last few weeks. Both games contained controversial calls, so there’s a lot of “what if”

“You can’t help but look at two games, Oklahoma and this game, and go, ‘How in the world did Auburn keep getting these bad calls?’ But Matt, I will tell you, it doesn’t matter once the game is over,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “And would Auburn have won had they gone up 17 to nothing, which they should have, absolutely should have. I like their chances, but that doesn’t excuse them for not doing anything in the second half. 

“And Hugh Freeze is wearing thin and some coaches, when you watch after a loss, you feel better, you feel confident, you feel emboldened, not Hugh Freeze. You feel the opposite. So he’s got a quirky schedule ahead. He’s got Missouri at home. He’s at Vanderbilt. I’m sure I’m missing a game or two, but he does have Alabama. So the real problem for him is, if he can’t beat Alabama at home, that would mean three years he has gone oh-for-his top two rivals, and that doesn’t work well in the Auburn family … The Georgia game is just a fraction behind the Alabama game in importance.”

Freeze has a lot of support, per Finebaum. But barring a nice run to end the season, a major decision at Auburn could be coming.

“They loved him when he got here. And by the way, there’s still support for Hugh Freeze, I want to make that very clear,” Finebaum said. “But I can’t give you a number on survival. I know beating Alabama is the trick, but of those games, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Alabama are problematic, all three. And more than one loss in that group and I think it’s going to put him … if he goes 8-4, I don’t think that’s that’s a fireable offense, even losing to Alabama. But, I don’t think he can do any worse without beating somebody. And really, Alabama is the only game that matters the rest of the way in terms of resonance.”