Auburn Tigers Flying Under the Radar, Just How they Like It

With a new head coach in Alabama and some high profile additions to the SEC, the Auburn Tigers are quietly going about their business.

Quarterback Payton Thorne and the Auburn Tigers are running under the radar in 2024. / Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama brings in a new coach, after Nick Saban retires. Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC after decades in the Big 12. Ole Miss looks like a playoff team under the tutelage of Lane Kiffin. You don't hear a peep about the Auburn Tigers and that's how the fans should like it.

Currently, Auburn doesn't just fly under the radar. They casually stroll beneath, working on improving and focusing on themselves. In a world of instant media analysis, preparing for a season with little to no buzz should benefit the Tigers throughout the 2024 season.

Quiet Approach

If you turn on the television or hop on social media you will see a noticeable dearth of Auburn coverage. Reporters seemingly purchased homes in Tuscaloosa, Norman, and Austin. Similarly, those stories flowing out of those camps look quite familiar, because they feel recycled.

Never in a conference relocation will you see new teams take media priority over established ones. Every red light on the camera burns solely for them. At this point, don't be surprised if long snappers and equipment managers end up delivering quotes.

Meanwhile, on The Plains, Auburn continues to plan for this season and recruit for the next few. With recruits deciding to call East Alabama home, Auburn slowly but surely begins to build a monster. Correspondingly, the new recruits will mesh perfectly with what Hugh Freeze envisions for the program. Instead of just trying to target every player, the Tigers choose the ones they want. Subpar recent history or not, Auburn is still Auburn.

Disrespect?

Is Payton Thorne the best quarterback in the SEC? No. Will he win the Heisman? Probably not. Regardless of those two questions, Thorne gives Auburn not only the best chance to win on a weekly basis, but he is much better than pundits think.

In a world where thirty-second clips dictate a player's worth, Thorne, in year two in this offense, profiles as a player that understands what he can/cannot do. By staying within the bounds of what he envisions as his skill set, Thorne does not attempt to place the offense in peril with constant foolish throws or bad decisions.

Instead, to borrow a phrase from NFL Hall of Famer Hank Stram, he matriculates the ball down the field. Now, the undisputed starter and in an offense that promises more big plays, look for Thorne to really burst onto the national scene.

Incognito Gus

If you cover or follow the Auburn Tigers, you know who Hugh Freeze is and what he sounds like. However, if you live in Missoula, Montana and watch football, you wouldn't know Freeze if he sat next to you.

Granted, coaches need to conduct press conferences and handle media. Yet, you may not find a major college football coach that attacks that in a more unassuming way than Hugh Freeze. No famous soundbites exist. He doesn't run around Auburn with a mullet, or fake a Southern accent.
Freeze exists on that campus to coach his team. No desire to become a talking head or caricature. Coaching the game of football works for him.

Leave the  spotlight for those that desire to be more sizzle than steak.