ESPN Predicts Struggling SEC Program to Make Postseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 3:47 PM ET

The Auburn Tigers have not been able to get over the hump just yet under head coach Hugh Freeze.

Freeze has an 11-14 overall record heading into year three with the program. He made it to a bowl game in 2023, but fell 31-13 to the Maryland Terrapins in the Music City Bowl.

Last season, Auburn finished 5-7 and narrowly missed the postseason after losing 28-14 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the "Iron Bowl."

ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura put out a list of bowl projections for 2025 and believed Auburn could turn the corner this season.

Schlabach had Auburn making the Birmingham Bowl, while Bonagura predicted the Tigers to reach the Gasparilla Bowl.

Even though they both picked Auburn to make different bowls, Schlabach and Bonagura predicted the Tigers to face the Boston College Eagles.

Auburn is desperate for a winning season, as it has not had one since the Gus Malzahn era on the Plains. Malzahn finished 6-5 in the 2020 season, and Auburn has not finished above .500 since.

The Tigers went into the portal to reload their roster this offseason, bringing in top talent such as Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets receiver Eric Singleton Jr., and Miami (OH) RedHawks corner Raion Strader.

Auburn has been doing well under Freeze in recruiting up until the 2026 cycle. The Tigers hold the No. 36 overall class on On3 Sports, but have gained momentum recently.

The program received a commitment from four-star receiver Jase Matthews, and it may have been influenced by former five-star quarterback Deuce Knight. According to Rivals' Steve Wiltfong, Matthews wanted to play at Auburn for the chance to catch passes from Knight.

Wiltfong also believed that if Auburn can compete for a College Football Playoff spot, the Tigers would flip plenty of recruits in the 2026 class.

Freeze is entering his biggest year yet with Auburn in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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