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'The game is vital': Freeze, players emphasize high stakes of Auburn at Baylor

Justin Hokansonby: Justin Hokanson07/15/25_JHokanson
Hugh Freeze (Photo by USA Today)
Hugh Freeze (Photo by USA Today)

ATLANTA, Ga. — Is the Auburn at Baylor game significant because of the pressure Hugh Freeze faces to turn the Tigers’ program around? Because it’s a major non-conference tilt? Because it’s simply the next on the schedule?

All of the above.

“There is zero hiding the fact that the first game is a big game,” Freeze said at SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

Auburn is a slight favorite by Vegas, but Baylor has been picked to win the Big 12 by some. The game should be a fairly even tilt going in. The Sporting News recently released a composite Top 25 (and then some) from preseason rankings and Auburn came in at No. 28, with Baylor coming in at No. 29.

But without question, the pressure is on Freeze and Co.

“I think this game is vital, so it’s important to our season to get off. We’re going to be playing in a difficult environment against a really good football team that’s well coached by Dave Aranda. So, when you’ve put all of that on paper, the importance of it, there’s no question that our focus throughout fall camp should be heightened,” Freeze said.

New quarterback Jackson Arnold has a different perspective. He gets to return to his home state of Texas for monster showdown.

“I’m excited about playing in Texas on a Friday night just like high school,” Arnold said.

“I don’t think just because it’s Baylor week one that we would prepare any different. But obviously Baylor is a very good team. It’s going to be a greatest for us. And I think things are starting to ramp up now. We’re starting to get into game planning and starting to get into film study and stuff like that. It’s definitely starting to ramp up. But we’ll prepare the same every week like it’s the hardest game on our schedule. You just try to go 1-0 each week.”

Connor Lew leads a revamped Auburn offensive line into Waco to face Aranda and Co.

“I’m not sure it changes the preparation, but opening up with a game like that, the opportunity to get a head start and get some momentum going into the season, it’s going to be really big for us that week,” Lew said.

“Baylor is, they’re not a pushover team. We are coming in, we’re opening up a week of fall camp just with a focused mindset,” all-everything defensive end Keldric Faulk added.

Losing at Baylor, with Arnold starting his first game with Freeze and Auburn, wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, with road games at Oklahoma and Texas A&M, followed by a home game against Georgia, as the first three SEC games for the Tigers, what Auburn needs to avoid is being 2-4 into October.

“This is not a game that you open up with and you sleepwalk it all and expect to win,” Freeze said. “And that sense of urgency should be seen all throughout camp as we get ready for that one. So, I kind of get excited about that, and I think our kids will follow.”

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