Auburn Football has Plenty to Play For, Including Immortality

While the Auburn Tigers have had a disappointing season in 2024, there is still plenty to play for both team and individual goals.

Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter has a chance to cement has status as a school legend the final-three games of the season. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

With Auburn football looking further and further away from bowl eligibility, what do the veteran players have left to play for? What reward remains on the field for the players that competed at Auburn for the last two , three, or even four years or more. 

This group endured one of the roughest stretches in program history. That level of struggle and futility cannot be underscored or underrated. This group survived dark days on The Plains and now what remains can still be construed as important.

Legacy

Jarquez Hunter walked onto The Plains with great hopes. From the outset, he split time with others, truly ignoring his potential and time. While the losses mounted, he stayed loyal to the program. With ample opportunity to transfer, he stayed put. 

With that, he cemented his legacy as not only the most underrated back in program history, but one of the most productive. Hunter currently sits sixth on Auburn’s all-time yards-from-scrimmage list. 

With three games to go, he needs just 20 yards to pass Joe Cribbs, 41 to pass Ben Tate, and 126 to pass James Brooks for third.

If Hunter surpasses all three, the only two backs ahead of him in Auburn history? Cadillac Williams and Bo Jackson. If he averages 186-total yards in Auburn’s next-three games (he’s averaged 151 the last three), he’ll pass Williams for No. 2 - a remote possibility, but possible. 

History remains in reach for Hunter, a chance to walk among the immortals. 

The Chance

What better way to end a disappointing season, than beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa. That team does not look as formidable as past seasons. With a new coach, the acclimation phase takes time. With that, Vanderbilt and Tennessee caught the Elephant Squad sleeping and managed to defeat them. 

Vanderbilt dropped 40 on this team in a win. Tennessee finds a way to throw the ball all over the field. The Crimson Tide defense looks slow and disorganized at times. Auburn will need to take advantage of this golden opportunity. Also, recruits sitting on the fence could flip to the Tigers based on the result. 

The game serves as a tipping point, a litmus test to check on the direction of the program. Hugh Freeze will be there for at least the next season, so that offers up a sense of continuity, However, Auburn can beat the Elephant and start cementing their immediate future.

Bottom Line

Could Auburn conceivably win the last three games and gain bowl eligibility. Possible, yes, probable, highly unlikely. Yet, the team can finish strong, providing strong tape for scouts while helping their university defeat their despised rival. 

With so few football games, each game matters and the need to win does not dissipate, especially when concerning state bragging rights. The last three games also serve as a proving point for Hugh Freeze. 

Strong play turns the static down surrounding Freeze and the program,  and that matters much during the offseason.