"Job approval is not good": Josh Pate delivers clear verdict on Hugh Freeze's rating number
Let's cut to the chase: Hugh Freeze has done a bad job at Auburn. They had an open week this weekend — thankfully, you can't lose if you don't play.
The season has been an embarrassment at 3-6 (1-5 SEC) following their 17-7 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores, leading to Freeze's job security being a constant point of discussion for college football fans. Discussions started small after finishing 6-7 last year, but now they've gone downhill.
College football analyst Josh Pate recently broke down Freeze's updated approval rating of 30% — many would be surprised it's even that high. It's separate from a hot seat rating, but Pate understands that Freeze's time in Auburn is likely almost over.
"His job approval is not good," Pate said. "(Auburn) is not good this year by a long shot."
Terrible Tigers: How Freeze Got Here
Auburn's roster was not as stacked as other SEC programs when Freeze took the position, even after scouting through the transfer portal. The program had hope in Freeze's previous success at Liberty, which is not a recruiting powerhouse by any means.
What many might not expect is that Auburn has a near-top-20 defense in college football this year. They've allowed 21 or fewer points in six of their games this year.
New coaches who have a history of success often take a big leap from their first year to the next. Pate isn't surprised that's not the case, and it worries him about the program's future.
"(Auburn) didn't take a quarterback out of the portal, so it was never going to happen," Pate said. "I expected them to be down this year, not this down...the concern is 'can a season be so bad that it poisons the well of the future?' And that's a valid concern."
The optimistic side is that Auburn has several high-profile recruiting classes coming up over the next two years and should, ideally, be on the lookout for a quarterback in the transfer portal.
The Tigers will face the 5-4 UL Monroe Warhawks on Saturday, their last unranked opponent of the season before having to clash with Texas A&M and Alabama.