Paul Finebaum reveals how he feels about Auburn, Hugh Freeze after loss to Oklahoma

Auburn gave Oklahoma all they could handle in Week 4. Despite a loss in Norman, Paul Finebaum is feeling enthusiastic about Hugh Freeze and the Tigers.

During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, the ESPN analyst spoke about how he actually feels better about Auburn this week after their loss. The Tigers will face Texas A&M this coming Saturday, and Finebaum is expecting them to hold firm among the contenders in the conference moving forward.

“I do feel a little better about Auburn. And that sounds crazy, because a week from today they may be staring at two losses and their season really hanging in the balance,” Finebaum explained. “But I like their schedule. I like having Georgia and Alabama at home. I think one of those games is very doable. Who knows? Maybe they can figure out a way to win both.

“Right now, though, they’ve got to figure some things out. But I would implore Hugh Freeze to stand firm—don’t start slipping into 2024 mode. I think they can navigate the very choppy waters.”

Digging deeper, it’s easy to see why Finebaum and others believe Auburn is on the upswing. There’s a lot to be positive about for the Tigers, and they seem to be making some strides with Freeze leading the charge.

As for this weekend’s game, the Aggies present a unique challenge to Auburn. These two programs last met a year ago, when they battled to a stalemate in regulation. The Tigers would ultimately wind up victorious, topping Texas A&M 43-41 in four overtimes in one of the more fascinating games of the season. 

The chief issue for Auburn during their tough road loss at Oklahoma was pass protection. Jackson Arnold was sacked 10 times in the contest. Even so, and despite battling the officiating, Auburn managed to make it a game all the way until the finish. 

The Tigers have a renewed sense of confidence under Freeze, and a lot of that has to do with Arnold. The new signal-caller for the Tigers have been quite good. He has gone 48-of-69 passing for 501 yards and four touchdowns, without throwing an interception. He has also run for 192 yards and four scores.

On the other hand, if Texas A&M wants to win, getting a handle on Arnold will be key. But the same is true in reverse with Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed.

All told, Aggies haven’t been elite defensively yet, so this could easily end up another high-scoring game between the two teams. Auburn is just hoping for a similar result this time around. Paul Finebaum will certainly have a keen eye on this one when it kicks off.