The Auburn Tigers were just one game away from bowl eligibility in 2022. With a new coach and fresh, experienced faces, things could turn around for the Tigers this season.
Which game will be that one game that is seen as the team’s turning point in 2023? Jesse Simonton of On3 breaks it down.
The game that can be seen as Auburn’s most important game of the season will be a home date with Ole Miss on Oct. 21 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be noteworthy for several reasons, one of which is the anticipated matchup between [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Lane Kiffin.
The game will also be the first opportunity for Freeze to make a statement with his new program.
A late October matchup between Auburn and Ole Miss will feature two head coaches who went head-to-head for the Tigers’ opening this offseason, with Kiffin leveraging the Rebels for a big raise and Freeze returning to the SEC.
Both programs have hit the transfer portal aggressively to rebuild their rosters, but with Auburn likely big underdogs against LSU, Georgia, and Alabama, this stands to be Freeze’s best opportunity for a statement win in Year 1.
On the contrary, another SEC program will have the Tigers circled on their calendar.
Texas A&M has yet to win 10 games under Jimbo Fisher and has won just six SEC games over the last two seasons. If the Aggies want to improve in both categories, they will need to start the SEC slate strong. Their SEC opener against Auburn on Sept. 23 in College Station will be a great way to set the tone for the rest of the season.
Jimbo Fisher needs Ws, plural — especially in SEC play. The Aggies are just 6-10 in conference play the last two seasons, so they would be well-served to get off to a fast start vs. league opponents in 2023.
Auburn has a first-year head coach, a brand-new staff and a new-look roster that will still be coalescing the first month of the season, so Fisher & Co., cannot lose — at home no-less — to the Tigers before a three-game stretch of Arkansas (in Arlington), Alabama and at Tennessee.
Several other games of note according to Simonton include Alabama vs. LSU, Georgia vs. Tennessee, and South Carolina vs. Florida.
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