Everything about College Football Coaches
Step back from the spreadsheets, the power rankings and the expert predictions – Week 9 featured games are about to remind us why we watch this sport in the first place: for the moments that defy logic and rewrite the script.
Noon Eastern/9:00 AM Pacific
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Auburn University finds itself at a crossroads in the gladiatorial college football arena, where millionaire coaches pace sidelines and billion-dollar TV deals fuel an insatiable machine. The whispers have already started. The faithful readers of CoachesHotSeat.com, those amateur Nostradamuses of the gridiron, are asking the question that sends shivers down the spine of every Auburn fan: Could Hugh Freeze be fired this year?
It’s a question that isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about cold, hard cash—$87 million of it, to be exact.
That’s the jaw-dropping sum Auburn has either already spent or might have to spend on coaching changes. $67 million shelled out since 2000 to make coaches go away, and potentially another $20 million waiting in the wings for Freeze. It’s a number that would make Wall Street blush and leave most university presidents reaching for the antacid. And now, less than two years into his tenure, Hugh Freeze might be the next name on that expensive list.
Let’s examine the situation at Auburn and see if Freeze will pack his bags before the leaves change color next fall.
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Napier finally got a W, but let’s not kid ourselves. Mississippi State was fresh off a loss to Toledo. Florida’s offense looked better, but it was more about Mississippi State’s defensive scheme than Napier’s brilliance.
And the defense? Yikes. Soft zones, missed tackles, and a general sense of panic against an up-tempo offense. If Mississippi State can shred them, imagine what UCF or Tennessee will do.
The 17-point margin is deceptive. This game was a nail-biter until the final minutes.
Nick Saban’s comments on GameDay cut to the heart of the matter. He wasn’t pointing fingers at the coaches but rather at the administration. Florida’s had a revolving door of coaches since the glory days of Spurrier and Meyer. Saban suggested that perhaps the issue lies in the athletic department and the university’s commitment to providing the resources and support necessary for sustained success. It takes more than just hiring a good coach; it takes a culture of winning that permeates the entire program. Gator Nation needs to understand that the solution might lie beyond the sidelines. When this job opens up again, Florida’s administration needs to be ready to demonstrate a real commitment to building a championship program if they want to attract a top-tier coach. Right now, this isn’t a very attractive job.
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Auburn, a once-proud program, now resembles a sinking ship, rudderless and taking on water fast. Hugh Freeze, the captain brought in to right the vessel, seems to be steering it straight into an iceberg. The latest loss, a miserable 24-14 home defeat to Arkansas, marked the fourth in six games at Jordan-Hare. Quarterbacks Hank Brown and Payton Thorne looked more like lost freshmen than seasoned leaders, and the offense sputtered and coughed its way to a humiliating defeat.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Auburn is winless against Power 5 opponents this year, with a dismal 6-19 record in their last 25 matchups. The last time they tasted victory against a winning Power 5 team? Halloween weekend of 2021. It’s a haunting statistic that hangs over Freeze like a specter.
His tenure at Liberty ended with a whimper, as he dropped four straight, including a shocking loss to New Mexico State. Now at Auburn, he’s lost 10 of his first 16 games against FBS competition, with another embarrassing loss to, you guessed it, New Mexico State. It’s a pattern of futility that’s becoming all too familiar.
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ESPN College Football Gameday from Columbia, South Carolina (LSU at South Carolina)
Fox Big Noon Kickoff from Madison Wisconsin (Alabama at Wisconsin
Time: Noon Eastern, 9:00 am Pacific
Network – ABC
Announcers: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
Our Pick: South Carolina
Time: 12:45 pm Eastern, 9:45 am Pacific
Network: SEC Network
Announcers: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang
Our Pick: BC
Time: 12:30 pm
Network: ABC
Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, and Katie George
Our Pick: Florida
Time: 4:30 pm
Network: CBS
Announcers: Ross Tucker, Rich Waltz, and Tiffany Blackmon
Our Pick: Colorado State
Time: 4:30 pm
Network: NBC
Announcers: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Tappen
Our Pick: Indiana
All Times Shown are Pacific
