Gus Malzahn's tenure at Auburn began in 2013 with an impressive run to a national runner-up finish. During his last seven seasons, though, the Tigers were regularly competitive but never elite.
Then, the team stumbled in Bryan Harsin's brief, awkward stay. Auburn mustered a 9-12 record before dismissing him.
Auburn decided to hire Hugh Freeze, whose time at Ole Miss included a controversial ending. No matter your opinion on that choice, Freeze inherited a program that hasn't notched 10-plus wins since 2017. Auburn managed a 6-7 mark in 2023, his debut year.
The good news for Auburn is that, based on the current landscape, the SEC may regularly have about four CFP qualifiers.
The challenge is that, at a minimum, each of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee and newcomers Oklahoma and Texas clearly hold a better outlook than Auburn right now. Kentucky and Texas A&M have decent arguments, too.
