Five Questions About Auburn's 2024 Football Schedule

Will the Auburn Tigers improve on their 2023 record of 7-6? To do so, it needs to find a way to be more consistent and accountable with a challenging schedule lying ahead.

Head coach Hugh Freeze openly took responsibility for how last went during the opening fall camp press conference, unsolicited in fact. Bringing up how he put too much on the players to learn the playbook as part of the reason.

He's saying 2024 is more about teaching his team the game and making sure they are ready to go for another tough slate of games. With that, here are five questions about Auburn's schedule to better understand if the Tigers can be one of the nation's surprise college football teams.

1) Will Auburn get over the hump and win one of the big rivalry games?

Let's be honest. Auburn should have defeated Georgia and Alabama last season. That's on the Tigers because they let each of the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide off the hook. This season's slate has each of those two teams on the road with UGA (Oct. 5) and then Bama (Nov. 30) concluding the season with the Iron Bowl.

It would do wonders for Auburn's program if it could win one of those two contests. To make it happen, the Tigers must learn how to close out games.

2) How will the mid-season stretch of games impact Auburn's depth and confidence?

One of the hardest aspects of playing in the SEC is the attrition it causes week by week. The trenches will often be especially brutal; injuries mount; confidence will wane.

Oklahoma (Sep. 28), at UGA (Oct. 5), a bye week, at Missouri (Oct. 19), and at Kentucky (Oct. 26) is not an easy stretch before hosting traditional conference bottom-dweller Vanderbilt (Nov. 2).

The record the Tigers come out of the stretch that concludes with Vanderbilt is one thing, but how beat up will Auburn be?

If there's much attrition, keep in mind that Freeze has repeatedly brought up how freshmen will have to play at positions like linebacker, cornerback, and wide receiver to begin with. It could get interesting if several more freshmen are thrust into the starting lineup because of injuries.

3) Will Auburn lose to another massive underdog like New Mexico State in 2023?

Auburn was an up-and-down team last year. The loss, at home, to NMST is just not acceptable though. Point blank, for Auburn's 2024 season to go well that cannot happen again and would be an ominous sign for Freeze's tenure on the Plains.

4) Will Auburn be a more consistent team during SEC road games?

Auburn must play better wherever it plays, but the road woes are truly troubling. From 2021 through 2023, Auburn is 4-8 during SEC road contests.

Some will point to the talent not being up to par. That's fine, but the Tigers play much better at home even when they lose (see UGA and Bama last season). Going to Death Valley in 2021, the lone big-SEC game exception is the 24-19 win over LSU.

For Auburn to move forward as a college football program, winning more SEC road contests needs to start in 2024.

5) Will Auburn give their fans ample reasons to return for late-season games after opening 2024 with five consecutive home contests?

Except for what is expected to be a highly-competive game against Oklahoma, each of the other contests is against a team Auburn should beat.

Even if the Tigers lose a close contest to the Sooners and are 4-1 heading into the difficult matchup at Georgia, there's reason to believe the fans will still be fired up about their Tigers and ready to support them through thick and thin.

Auburn has very loyal fans but there's a limit, too. Signs of progress are needed to keep a fanbase's full interest. This means more than just winning; the Tigers must win with an exciting brand of football.

Yes, this is a direct shot at last season's lack of a quality passing attack. Fans want to see the Auburn offense be able to throw the football and do so well. If Auburn wins with a more balanced offensive attack look for Jordan-Hare Stadium to be rocking even more than it usually is.