Joel Klatt Names College Football Program That 'Wants to be Alabama'

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The Auburn Tigers have just one double-digit-win season over the last 12 years. They’re looking for their fourth head coach since 2013 after firing Hugh Freeze on Sunday. That could be a lot of what their program’s problem is.

Living in the shadow of the in-state rival Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tigers are trying to catch up. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt believes Auburn is overselling itself.

“If you’re not even the best or biggest or most important program in your own state, sorry, I’m not sorry,” Klatt said Monday on his podcast. “That is what it is. And Auburn has a little brother complex. They just do. They’re not Alabama, and it’s not even close.

“And yet, they want to be Alabama, so they feel like their expectations, and they operate — from a booster perspective and a program perspective — as if, ‘Well, our expectations are that we’re Alabama.’ But you’re not. You’re not.”

Klatt does have a point. A lot of schools probably wish they had the same success as Alabama over the past decade and a half. Especially so for Auburn, which has had to watch from nearby.

The Tigers are 1-5 in SEC play this go-round. They’ve finished with a sub-.500 mark in the conference in the last four seasons. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide have played in six College Football Playoff national championship games since 2015.

While the transition from legendary head coach Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer hasn’t been without its bumps, the program in Tuscaloosa appears to have its guy. Alabama is 7-1 this season, including a 5-0 record against SEC opponents.

Related: Joel Klatt Said What He Really Thinks After Alabama’s Win Over Tennessee

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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