College football preseason publications are a great way for fans to read up on their favorite teams, and rivals, ahead of an exciting season.
It also provides an outlet for coaches to share their most heated opinions while remaining incognito.
Anonymous coaches were asked to share their hottest takes on SEC programs with Lindy’s Sports, and the best were included in the publication’s 2024 Southeastern preview. While Lindy’s Sports does not disclose if their sources are current coaches or multiple coaches, Auburn’s report was… harsh.
One criticism was at the expense of Auburn’s 2023 season finale, a 31-13 Music City Bowl loss to Maryland. The Tigers fell behind 21-0 in the 1st quarter, and were out-gained by just 10 yards. This source credits the team’s number of bowl game opt outs as the reason for Auburn’s poor showing in Nashville.
“I saw Auburn play in a bowl game and it was the least talented Auburn team I’ve seen in 50 years. They were awful. They lost a lot of kids before the game, a lot opted out. But they were completely disheveled.”
Just one week after losing 31-10 to New Mexico State, Auburn football had the opportunity to take down No. 8 Alabama and to erase their chances of earning a College Football Playoff bid. The game ended on a heartbreaking 4th-and-31 hail mary play from Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to wide receiver Isaiah Bond. Auburn left plenty of momentum on the table in the game, and one coach says that the Tigers will move forward without former defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag].
“You’re Auburn in a down year. Alabama is a College Football Playoff team. You’ve got them beat, it’s 4th-and-31 and you lose. That should never happen. It’s got to be the worst play in college football, except maybe Cal scoring against Stanford with the band on the field. The best thing Auburn did was get rid of Ron Roberts.”
The last take centers around [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. Thorne had a disappointing 2023 season after passing for just 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns. Auburn has added a plethora of talented wide receivers to its roster, but one coach feels that the team can not reach success with Thorne as its starting quarterback.
“You need a dynamic guy like Cam Newton to run your offense or one of those guys Auburn had in the past. Payton Thorne ain’t going to lead you to the promised land. He’s an average player.”
Auburn football looks to improve upon its 6-7 campaign in 2024. This season will feature several enhancements such as transfers [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag]. Not only will Auburn try to improve its record, but they will also try to change the opinions of opposing coaches across the SEC.
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