Step inside any convenience store or barbecue joint on either side of Interstate 59 and you’ll feel the uneasiness from Auburn and Alabama fans ahead of the 2025 season.
For Hugh Freeze and Kalen DeBoer, season openers on the road against Baylor and Florida State provide defining opportunities for programs seeking rebound years.
Freeze had posted just one losing season in his career when Auburn hired him away from Liberty in 2023. But back-to-back seven-loss campaigns have created uncertainty. Not even his hefty buyout would prevent Auburn from moving on quickly if another season goes south.
Freeze enters the year as one of nine coaches with his job on the line, according to CBS Sports’ hot seat rankings. He is one of a handful of SEC coaches entering a tenure-defining year.
DeBoer has a longer leash at Alabama and remains a hit among players. Still, the expectation in Tuscaloosa is clear: a return to the College Football Playoff. Anything less would be considered a setback.
Eight-win minimum at Auburn
Auburn’s preseason win total is 7.5, according to Fanduel Sportsbook. Outside expectations far exceed the whispers around the program, where confidence in Freeze has eroded. The Tigers weren’t among the nine SEC teams in the preseason AP Top 25, and their last ranked finish came in 2021.
“A bowl game — just six wins — would not inspire a lot of confidence here,” one source close to the program told CBS Sports. That source pegged the bar at eight wins.
Freeze…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/iron-bowl-coaches-under-pressure-alabamas-kalen-deboer-must-win-big-auburns-hugh-freeze-has-to-do-it-now/
Author : Brad Crawford
Publish date : 2025-08-27 18:24:00
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