Auburn picked to show the most progress in the SEC in 2024
Auburn had an up and down first season in the debut for Hugh Freeze down on The Plains. However, the lows weren’t as low as some may think, which is why On3’s J.D. PicKell is high on what the Tigers can do in year two under him.
PicKell picked Auburn as a program that could show progress during an appearance on ‘The Paul Finebaum Show’ on Monday. He gets that a 6-7 record, including one with a home defeat to a Conference USA opponent, will create critics. Still, two of those seven were also against two of the best teams in the nation and a pair of playoff contenders that the Tigers had their chances to beat inside Jordan-Hare.
“A team that I’m super, super curious about, Paul – the Auburn Tigers,” Pickell said. “I think social media is having a little bit too much fun with Auburn and what happened last year with the New Mexico State loss, that they barely won six games, and all that. I’m looking at the rest of what happened this past season? They really took Alabama down to the final play and short of a miracle that I know that folks out there in Auburn, Alabama still shudder about a little bit when they watch it back.”
“Should’ve beat Alabama, they take Georgia to the final drive,” recalled PicKell. “Like, if both of those games – and if is a major variable here. But if both of those games go a different direction? Like, how are we talking about Huge Freeze and his roster this coming season?”
Again, it really was up and down for Auburn in 2023. After a 3-0 start, Auburn lost four straight to open conference play. That was the case even though they had chances against No. 1 Georgia and No. 13 Ole Miss. They’d then go on to win three more in a row before dropping their final three. Each was more brutal than the next with a 21-point loss to New Mexico State, a crushing defeat on The Gravedigger in The Iron Bowl against No. 8 Alabama, and a season-ending, 18-point loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl.
Still, there were reasons for optimism, including an offense that improved in increments. Now, with Freeze calling plays in his second season, PicKell expects to see some more points from Auburn.
“I think the big thing that I’m curious about with them is offensively,” said PicKell. “It sounds like it’s going to be a Hugh Freeze offense. When Hugh Freeze got control of the offense last year, when they handed him the remote control? That offense looked completely different. Also, Payton Thorne gets a full spring to kind of get the offense under his belt, the system totally dialed in.”
The Southeastern Conference will be stacked again in 2024 with their usual contenders and two new teams. Even so, PicKell wouldn’t be shocked whatsoever if Auburn finds themselves among them in some sense in the fall with a record that could push toward double-digit wins for the first time this decade.
“I think Auburn, with the roster talent they have and the way they looked last year just kind of getting their sea legs? I think they can sneak up on some folks, Paul,” said PicKell. “Kind of that nine-win range would not surprise me at all.”