Anonymous college football coaches did not hold back on the current state of Auburn and its starting quarterback, Payton Thorne. They absolutely torched the Tigers for their poor performance last season in addition to their outlook for 2024.
Their thoughts are rather brutal.
Auburn is supposed to be one of the premier programs in the country. However, it has failed to eclipse six wins in each of the past four seasons and has concluded its season with a loss in a bowl game in four of the last five years. The Tigers didn’t even make a bowl in 2022.
Hugh Freeze finished with a losing record in his first year as head coach at 6-7. He even lost to New Mexico State, which is a really, really tough look when you compare each school’s facilities. If that wasn’t brutal enough, Auburn squandered an opportunity to beat Alabama at home with one of the biggest defensive collapses in college football history.
To make matters even worse, the Tigers got smacked by Maryland in front of a semi-home crowd in Nashville even though they were out-gained by just 10 yards. It was an ugly end to a frustrating year.
Is Auburn going to improve?
Now, as Freeze tries to lead his program back from mediocrity, Thorne is slated to return as the incumbent starting quarterback. He threw for less than 2,000 yards last year with 11 interceptions and will need to show great improvement this fall if Auburn is going to win.
Anonymous college football coaches that spoke with Lindy’s Sports do not think that he is good enough. They spoke with the publication on the condition of anonymity as part of its annual preseason lookahead.
You need a dynamic guy like Cam Newton to run your offense or one of those guys Auburn had in the past. Payton Thorne ain’t going to lead you to the promised land. He’s an average player.
— Anonymous coach, via Lindy’s Sports
The bowl game, which was played without many opt-outs and transfers, certainly did not instill any fear into the minds of other coaches. It was a pitiful showing.
I saw Auburn play in a bowl game and it was the least talented Auburn team I’ve seen in 50 years. They were awful. They lost a lot of kids before the game, a lot opted out. But they were completely disheveled.
— Anonymous coach, via Lindy’s Sports
There was a real opportunity for the Tigers to save their season against the Crimson Tide and they should have pulled off the victory. A win would have kept Nick Saban out of the College Football Playoff in his final year. Winning the Iron Bowl often negates everything else that went on throughout the season.
None of that happened.
You’re Auburn in a down year. Alabama is a College Football Playoff team. You’ve got them beat, it’s 4th-and-31 and you lose. That should never happen. It’s got to be the worst play in college football, except maybe Cal scoring against Stanford with the band on the field.
— Anonymous coach, via Lindy’s Sports
Auburn ultimately fired its defensive coordinator after just one season on The Plains and the anonymous coaches seem to agree that it was the right move. He had to go. He did.
It is unclear as to how many coaches are included in Lindy’s profile. It could be one or three. We don’t know. We also don’t know who the coaches are.
Regardless, they do not think highly of Auburn. Their comments could not be more negative!
The post College Football Coaches Ripped Auburn And QB Payton Thorne To Shreds Under Guise Of Anonymity appeared first on BroBible.
College Football Coaches Ripped Auburn And QB Payton Thorne To Shreds Under Guise Of Anonymity
Pinoy Human Rights
0 Comments