The Bulldogs have been on a roll this season right from the start. They stand in a holistic good spot at 3-1 in the season, 1-1 in SEC play, and overall 5 in the nation. After blowing away a slew of opponents like Clemson Tigers, and Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, Kirby Smart and his boys first felt a bump in the road in their SEC opener against Kentucky Wildcats, with a small margin (13-12) win. A statement loss against Alabama last weekend came up the next. Now, no-longer the No. 1. team will revert to home for their match-up against Auburn next Saturday and looks hungry like never before to pick up a win. But which Bulldogs’ mindset could contribute more to the downturn for Hugh Freeze and the team?

Motivation will speak louder for the Bulldogs on their next expedition. After all, they will head to the Week 6 matchup with the Auburn Tigers coming fresh off a nasty loss against the Bama. It marked the heartbreaking end of their consistent winning streak, sending a blow to the Dwag’s No 1 ego. What could be better than letting that piled-up emotion out with a loud comeback at the home ground in front of a thick rally of people shouting their hearts out? Well, Kirby Smart seems highly unlikely to miss the chance to rebuild their pride. As an ESPN analyst elaborated on this saying, ”I don’t think there’s any question Georgia wins this game. Think they might have found themselves in that second half. And you know, it’s hard to take care of momentum out of a loss, but it certainly that was the first time your eyes popped open.”

Despite Georgia not looking like a wholly fixed team following their recent upset, the popular belief is rooting for them to cover the spread whatsoever.

The second reason for the Dawgs to be on the edge is that the Auburn Tigers don’t even compare to the Bulldogs. While the Bama has been a total turnover machine last weekend, the Tigers can’t match their skill on any side of the ball. Georgia can also take the game in their favor with just 2:31 remaining in the hand, as we have seen instances of such dramatic finishes in the past weekends. So, the impossible is just a myth for the most elite in the college football ranking. Regardless of the loss to the Bama, they still dominate the AP Poll ranking and nationwide ranking.

The Bulldogs might, however, want to see a better start. Against Clemson, they were pretty late to score the first touchdown. In fact, late-blooming has been a theme for the Dawgs for a while. To ensure a hustle-free victory, they would likely be more active and astute as early as possible.

Now the question begs: if the above-mentioned positives work for the Dawgs just as they should and earn them the win, will Hugh Freeze be under deep water for his job?

Hugh Freeze’s Auburn future

Auburn has a pretty distinctive way of choosing its teams and staff and making any cyclical decisions. Although they brought back Freeze to the Southern Conference back in 2022 with a pile of hope, things have been undergoing a lot of changes lately. He has messed up a few quarterback positions, and sometimes, he played blame games with the players. But none of those is the sole reason why his potential firing is being discussed. Rather, it’s a history that seems to repeat without fail.

Gene Chizik, the former Auburn coach, was fired two years after winning a national championship. Tommy Tuberville also had to vacate his seat the year after beating Alabama, the arch-nemesis, in six consecutive games. Any of the success couldn’t make these gems stay longer for the Auburn Tigers. So, after a few seasons, or even in mid-2025, you might expect a headline poetrysizing Freeze’s departure too.

If you want to know about other nitty-gritty of college football, you can refer to our ES Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment.