Former Alabama RB Mark Ingram takes shot at Auburn football amid Hugh Freeze firing

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The Iron Bowl rivalry between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide is a year-round affair that extends beyond the gridiron. A prime example of this theory could be seen this week following Auburn's dismissal of former head coach Hugh Freeze.

Mark Ingram, a Heisman Trophy-winning running back from Alabama and current analyst for FOX Sports, joked about the current state of Auburn football during a recent episode of "The Triple Option" podcast.

Former Ohio State, Florida, and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer and FOX Sports broadcaster Rob Stone discussed Hugh Freeze's firing with Ingram during Wednesday's show. Ingram shared his opinion on why Auburn has struggled to find the right head coach in recent attempts, while letting his Alabama colors show.

“Coach (Urban Meyer), you’ve been a part of successful teams, I’ve been a part of successful teams, both college and the NFL, and the thing here is you have to be aligned from the president to the AD, to the head coach, to the coaching staff, to the players, it has to be a vertical, in-sync, type of rhythm for you to be successful. It seems like it’s kind of off," Ingram said. "You know how you play Tetris and it just keeps stacking up on you quick, like now you lost. So, it just seems like they’re not in cohesion right now, and honestly, we love it. Roll Damn Tide, I hope the dysfunction continues.”

Hugh Freeze became the third head coach that Auburn has fired since 2020, with its buyouts for Freeze, Bryan Harsin, and Gus Malzahn totaling over $52 million. The trio of Stone, Ingram, and Meyer discussed the "dead money" that Auburn is paying its recently fired coaches. However, Ingram says that he understands why Auburn and other programs are willing to spend money to improve their product.

"We keep talking. Earlier in the year, we were like, 'How are they going to afford these buyouts?' These schools are not fixing to stand by and tolerate losing in past seasons. They are going to find that money," Ingram said. You got these programs who have rich histories and have high expectations… they are not standing around for it. Auburn is just the latest one."

Auburn football is the fourth SEC program to fire its head coach this season, joining Arkansas, Florida, and LSU. A frontrunner for the vacant job has not been revealed at this time, but one candidate, interim head coach DJ Durkin, will get his first audition on Saturday when the Auburn Tigers face No. 16 Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. CT at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Former Alabama RB Mark Ingram trolls Auburn football on recent podcast

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