Paul Finebaum Pegs Auburn Tigers as Texas A&M Aggies Spoiler

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum says that by playing spoiler, Hugh Freeze can save something from the frustrating Auburn Tigers season.

Auburn Tigers freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman is coming off a three-touchdown performance against ULM. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Up until recently, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum certainly hasn't been shy about landing a variety of haymakers on the Auburn Tigers program, and the fragile chin of head coach Hugh Freeze in particular. 

It's not that Finebaum is suddenly mellowing in his old age, moreso, his growing apathy for the Tigers has shifted into the enthusiastic belief that they can play the spoiler against Texas A&M this weekend.

Finebaum is backing up his bold assertion based upon Auburn finally playing up to its potential, and the Aggies road struggles showing up once again.

"(They're) extremely dangerous," Finebaum declared during his visit with the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning Show. "And I don't think it really takes much to say that. This is a good football team. Not a great football team, but a team that has been capable, and I frankly think this weekend is extremely dangerous for A&M. Especially a program who has not looked good on the road, who has the biggest game, maybe in its program history, coming up a week from now."

The Aggies were hammered earlier this month at South Carolina 44-20 and struggled in late October at Mississippi State.

For all the frequent struggles of the sadly underwhelming Tigers team thus far - turning their season around now hinges on them doing something good against the Aggies, and then the big one when they face Alabama in the Iron Bowl. 

Rescuing something tangible from the rubble of a season, which largely has descended into frustrating incompetence more often than not, is suddenly not beyond the realms of believability. 

This youthful group Freeze has assembled have unquestionably lacked direction and a fine polishing, but are plenty talented enough to hang with anyone, especially if they can avoid shooting themselves in the foot.

Some could argue quite reasonably that only a win in the Iron Bowl can get the juices flowing for the Tigers faithful, but Finebaum has their season more dependent upon doing something first up against the Aggies.

"We'll save the Iron Bowl for next week," Finebaum mused. "I don't think it takes too much imagination if you've watched the last few years. But I think for Hugh Freeze, this is the moment. You beat A&M and you can suddenly turn a season around."

Undoubtedly, it's Freeze who has to carry the can for the constant misfiring which sank the season, but he's also bound to feel the heat even more considerably if they falter in their final two games. The stakes couldn't be any higher.

On the flip side, at 8 - 2, the Aggies need a strong-winning performance against the Tigers to send a timely message that they will be a force to be reckoned with in any kind of playoff contest they hope follows.