The Auburn Tigers are headed into the third year of the Hugh Freeze era, and the first two have not gone according to plan.

Freeze was always going to be offered a fair amount of grace and patience given the state of the roster he inherited, however a regression from year one to year two and not even making a bowl game last year puts him under serious pressure entering his third year.

On paper, the Tigers should have a much better team, but games are not won on paper and Freeze simply must do that this season more than he has.

During a recent interview with Next Round, Auburn legend Charles Barkley was asked directly about Freeze and his status and did not mince words.

“We’re just gonna have to play our behinds off. It’s that simple.” Charles Barkley on year 3 under Hugh Freeze pic.twitter.com/spbmYuctfO

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) June 5, 2025

“He’s gotta have a good year — it’s that simple. He’s gotta have a good year,” Barkley said. “They have to make a decision what’s a good year and what’s a great year, but we have to see something positive… Last year, we regressed. And listen, Alabama is not going anywhere, Georgia is not going anywhere, Tennessee is not going anywhere. We’re just gonna have to play our behinds off. It’s that simple.”

Clearly, Freeze is under more expectations this year than he has been in his whole time at Auburn.

That’s nothing he doesn’t already know however, and it’s almost time for him to take his team onto the field and prove it.