Could Auburn be next season’s TCU?
TCU Horned Frogs became the 2022 college football season’s Cinderella story. College Football fans were delighted to see the Horned Frogs rise from a record of just 5-7 in 2021, to compete for a College Football Playoff National Championship only one season later.
Most of their turnaround is credited to Sonny Dykes, who took over TCU’s football program this season and led them to a semi-final win before losing to Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Could Auburn suffer a similar fate for 2023? College Wires’ regional editor Patrick Conn weighs in.
TCU and the Tigers hired a coach to replace their 5-7-year-old coach. TCU was able to make a magical turnaround in year one under Dykes, and with Auburn’s current success with recruiting, it is possible that the Tigers could see a similar rebound next season. In a piece titled “Which first-year head coach has best opportunity to mimic TCU?” Conn says that Hugh Freeze The Auburn Tigers are capable of achieving this feat.
After a tumultuous two-year run at Auburn for Bryan Harsin, new athletic director John Cohen went with a familiar name in Hugh Freeze. Cohen was Ole Miss’ head coach when he served as Mississippi State’s associate athletic director.
Although Freeze’s past is questionable, his offensive abilities are well-known. He took Malik Willis, a transfer from Auburn, and made him an NFL draft pick as a quarterback. He already has some pieces and he gave immediate boost on the recruiting trail. His path to the CFP is more complicated in the SEC West, but it is possible if his eyes catch the light in a bottle.
Matt Rhule joins Freeze on this list. NebraskaDeion S. Sanders Colorado, and Tom Herman (Florida Atlantic).
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A look at Auburn Football’s 2023 schedule
