ESPN's Greg McElroy Reveals Key for Auburn Tigers 2025

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy has often been accused by Auburn Tigers fans of sticking the knife into their team at every available opportunity. McElroy might still enjoy putting the Tigers to the sword, but he feels the worm is turning as far the fortunes of head coach Hugh Freeze and Co. goes.

Renewed levels of hope come in the shape of another strong recruitment window for Freeze, and of course, the transfer portal additions of quarterback Jackson Arnold and explosive wide receiver Eric Singleton help massively.

Even so, McElroy is of the firm opinion that getting a fast start against Baylor on August 29th holds the key to Auburn having some sustained success in 2025.

"If they can get hot early and beat Baylor in the non-conference and carry over some of that momentum in the regular season, we've been looking at an Auburn team that's 4 - 1, 5 - 0 before Georgia comes to town,” McElroy said on his Always College Football podcast. 

“So yes, I think, Auburn absolutely will have a winning season this year. I'd be surprised if it's not eight or nine wins."

Much as McElroy might relish the Tigers’ recent struggles, there's really no point in him denying that the small margins can be turned on their heads if they can play cleaner. If that set of circumstances were indeed to materialize, it's critical that the Tigers don't fall into the same traps as they did in 2024.

"I love it. I thought last year they were going to have a winning season, so I've been burned before," McElroy said. "But I look at where they've immediately upgraded their roster. A starting quarterback (Jackson Arnold). I thought Payton Thorne was a little underrated last year, but at the end of the day, too many mistakes from a few too many chances with the football. A couple of those interceptions led to losses.

“I mean, flat out, there's no denying it, if he doesn't turn the ball over against Cal, if the turnovers don't happen against Oklahoma, if they don't start the backup against Arkansas, I think it's a very different season for the Auburn Tigers (in 2024)."

While most of the blame for several of the late-game implosions was put on the shoulders of departed quarterback Payton Thorne, Freeze can't simply get off the hook that easily.

Fractures in the quarterback and head coach dynamic were deeply rooted in poor communication, and that ill-fated three-headed play calling monster Freeze helped create. Poor clock management at the end of halves was also an Achilles heel for Freeze and the Tigers in 2024. 

Therein lies a major cautionary tale moving forward, because without a solid and dependable single voice in Arnold's helmet, some of the old problems will boil back to the surface.

A great deal of information will be gleaned from how the Tigers perform against Baylor out of the gate. Setting a much clearer tone on offense, if that fast start McElroy is suggesting does indeed come to pass.