Oklahoma 27 Auburn 21. I was as the title to this post suggests literally dumbfounded. Auburn dominated this game. Auburn had much more talent at every offensive skill position than Oklahoma. Auburn had almost 500 yards of offense while Oklahoma did not even have 300 yards. Auburn, for the first time this season, dominated the time of possession. Auburn was up 21-10 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Auburn had just stopped Oklahoma on downs and had the ball at midfield. Jarquez Hunter then ripped off a 20 yard run and Auburn was in business at the Oklahoma thirty yard line. Auburn had all of the momentum. Auburn just had to score and the game would be officially over. Once again like Bama last year the game was won if Auburn does not do something STUPID to screw it up... And of course in typical Hugh Freeze fashion Auburn does something stupid and screws it up.
Hugh Freeze, unlike any one on this planet with a lick of sense, does not call three straight running plays even though they had just run for twenty yards, the tired Okie defense was reeling, and it would run clock that would help ice the game. He does not do the obvious obvious obvious right thing, no he allows his self destructive quarterback to throw two straight incomplete passes which stop the clock, stop Auburn's momentum, and leave Auburn in third and long. He then decides to run and of course gets nothing leaving Auburn with a long field goal for the suddenly snakebit Auburn kicker Town McGough who then misses the field goal and gives Oklahoma life. The Sooners then hit their first and only long pass of the day and score to put them right back in the game with the momentum.
Auburn then gets the ball back and drives inside of Oklahoma territory where the Tigers face a 3rd and 4. Hugh then calls one of his much talked about RPO plays! RPO! RPO! RPO! He has talked incessantly about these stupid run/pass option plays like he has discovered gold or something. His whole offense is based on these magic plays! Well Oklahoma showed why you should have just run the ball, punted if you had too, and made a true freshman quarterback who as done nothing but hit one pass all day drive the length of the field in crunch time. Oklahoma faked their lineman or linebacker like he was going to rush and then he dropped back in coverage. Thorne took the bait just like he did against Cal and Arkansas and opted for the pass... and that Oklahoma player intercepted it and took it to the house for the winning score.
Thorne NEVER EVER should have been allowed to throw a pass. Any coach, any person with a tiny tiny tiny bit of common sense would not have let him throw a pass but not Hugh Freeze. It is obvious now that the man has no sense. I am simply dumbfounded someone could be that stupid. I am dumbfounded Auburn lost this game that they absolutely dominated. I am dumbfounded that a coach this dumb could have ever made it this far. How did this guy win at Ole Miss??? He... just... has... no... sense. I mean the biggest win of his career is there for the taking against Bama and he allows his defense to rush just two players. He would have started this season 5-0 if he had just run the ball a lot more and played conservative. You have to know your team's limitations and do what is best for the team to win the game. That is COACHING!!!
This is Football 101 and he does not know this??? He is paid millions of dollars and he does not know this??? This guy will never be very successful at Auburn whether he gets better players or not. He is just not a good coach. I do not know how he achieved the little bit of success he has had. We do know after 18 games at Auburn that other than one fluke win over Arkansas last season he has not coached one good game against a Power 4 team even in the few wins. On top of that he was the guy in charge who let a minor league New Mexico State team crush Auburn in Jordan Hare. It has just been one embarrassment after another AGAINST TEAMS AUBURN IS EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN (!!!???!!!). Auburn actually played Georgia close and should have beat Bama last season. Of course I am sure that will change next week at Georgia.
Unfortunately next week doesn't matter anymore. Next month does not matter anymore. Next year does not matter anymore. It is over. OVER. I knew after the 2021 collapse against Mississippi State and subsequent loss to lowly South Carolina that it was over for Harsin. He had not quit recruiting yet at that point but it was the same as this, he could not even execute basic football strategy. Neither Harsin then or Freeze now has learned or understood basic football strategy good enough to execute regardless of their game plan or system. You just keep running the ball if you have a 21-10 lead in the most important game of your career, you have a mistake prone quarterback, you are going against a tired defense, you have the momentum, and you just had a big run (!!!) . I like being balanced but if running the ball, i.e. being conservative, is the best way to win the game then I am going to do it!!!
Hugh Freeze did not and he lost his last chance at turning this season around. This Auburn team will be fortunate to win another game the rest of the season even against Vandy and Louisiana Monroe. He has lost this team. They do not believe in him either. He will soon start losing recruits and at the end of the season I expect a mass exodus through the transfer portal. I do not believe Auburn will fire him no matter how bad this season ends and he will limp into 2025 with another less than stellar team. He will then continue to make the same stupid mistakes he has made this season and at some point next season the administration will finally put him out of his misery. Auburn will then start over AGAIN... It is so depressing I have a hard time writing it but I believe that is what is going to happen.
I just cannot believe even with Auburn's limited roster that it has come to this. I am literally perplexed to the point of being stuck dumb by the fact that Auburn with it's history and resources has managed to hire two coaches in a row this bad. It is all over but the shouting and there will be a lot of that.
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