Matt Barrie Names SEC Team With a Losing Record That Has a 'Championship Caliber Roster'

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At the beginning of the 2025 college football season, the Auburn Tigers seemed poised to regain their status as a competitive team in the SEC. They started the year strong, boasting a 3-0 record, which included a significant 38-24 victory over the Baylor Bears on the road in their opening game.

The team has since lost six of its last seven games. Five of those losses were by a single score, and the only game where they lost by more than one score was by 10 points. As a result of this poor performance, head coach Hugh Freeze has been fired, and the Tigers have begun their search for a new leader to take charge of the program.

On “The Matt Barrie Show,” the “SportsCenter” anchor stated that, despite their 4-6 record, Auburn is one of the most talented teams in college football.

“Auburn’s roster is a championship-caliber roster,” Barrie said. “That’s why a lot of people were frustrated with Hugh Freeze that he couldn’t get it done.”

Auburn entered this season optimistic about its roster’s perceived talent, as Barrie mentioned. The Tigers secured the No. 8-ranked transfer portal class and made several important additions, including quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech.

Arnold, a former five-star prospect, was a first-year starter last season at Oklahoma. However, his season has not gone as planned. He has thrown for 1,278 yards, with six touchdowns and two interceptions, and has rushed for 258 yards and seven touchdowns. He was benched during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Singleton Jr. had an impressive season at Georgia Tech, but hasn’t been able to replicate that success at Auburn. So far this season, he has only accumulated 481 yards and three touchdowns, compared to last year’s 754 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, Auburn has effectively utilized recruiting, securing back-to-back top 10 classes. According to 247Sports, this positions them as the 13th-most-talented team in college football.

With a coaching search underway and a roster still stacked with potential, Auburn’s next hire will determine whether this season was an outlier or a sign that the Tigers’ rebuild is farther from completion than expected.

Related: Matt Barrie Names ‘Home Run’ College Football Head Coach Hire for Auburn

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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