Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze: 'I Should Have Four Wins' Against Nick Saban

Auburn Tigers head football head coach Hugh Freeze relives 4th-and-31, but stated that Nick Saban is "incredible" and a "good friend."

Sep 28, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban talks with Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze midfield before their game against at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Over the last 17 years, there have been countless head coaches who have looked forward to playing against Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. But Saban's 29 total losses in nearly two decades in Tuscaloosa, Ala. meant that a very small fraction of these opposing head coaches won what is typically their "biggest game of the year."

Former Ole Miss and current Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is one of just five head coaches to have beaten the seven-time national champion (six at Alabama) twice. However, Freeze, who also has four losses against Saban, recently spoke with SEC Network's Marty Smith and claimed that he should've tallied a couple more victories.

"I mean, honestly, Nick is incredible, but I should have four wins against him," Freeze said. "We beat him twice and we had them 24-3 the third year, and I wasn't smart enough to slow it down. And then last year, it easily could have gone our way. I may have not phrased that right, I want everybody (to know that), but we easily could have beat him a few more times."

On Nov. 25, 2023 (the latter game Freeze was referring to), after trailing 24-20 for much of the fourth quarter, Auburn muffed a punt to give Alabama the ball back. Alabama moved the ball down to first-and-goal, but a bad snap put the Crimson Tide way behind the chains. Then, on fourth-down from the 31-yard-line, quarterback Jalen Milroe connected with wide receiver Isaiah Bond for the Alabama touchdown to put them up 27-24 with 32 seconds left to eventually give the Crimson Tide the win.

“Not winning that game sucked. It stunk. It was disappointing and hard, but at the same time, I didn’t think our roster was as good as theirs," Freeze said. "It gave me even more confidence that Auburn can return to one of the top programs in the country pretty fast because we went toe-to-toe with them and should’ve won the game, truthfully. It was a mixed bag of this is awful, but man, we can play with them.”

Although he has a losing record against Saban, Marty Smith commended Freeze for "always giving Saban hell" whenever they face off. Freeze explained the secret to his success with having Saban on the ropes, but also stated how Saban has adjusted to the the game plans.

“Well, at Ole Miss, I think we were one of the first staffs to bring in the tempo RPO world, and he didn’t like that at all and tried to get it changed and all that,” Freeze said. “Then he started doing it. He’s a good friend of mine, for sure, but I did understand what complicated their calls.”