Nothing will come to define the scope of this Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze has struggled more this season than his own analysis of the program’s misfortunes under his leadership.

“Not being able to cross the finish line makes you sick, physically sick,” Freeze lamented during media coverage this week.

Outspoken ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum suggested that decision-makers at Auburn were sold a bill of goods when they hired Freeze as head coach.

Finebaum asked, “I wonder if Auburn (Freeze) wasn’t sold a bill of goods on the date?” he said. McElroy and Cubelic on The Morning Show. “If you put aside the wins against Nick Saban, what exactly has Hugh Freeze accomplished as a football coach? I know what his record is at Liberty and I really don’t care. I look at Ole Miss and Auburn and in my opinion he has failed as an Auburn head coach and I know Bryan Harsin was fired two years ago with a better record at this point by one or two games, but that doesn’t really tell the story on the football field, that’s ultimately where you’ll be judged, I don’t like anything I’ve seen.”

Certainly the Freeze has struggled to produce wins anywhere near the mirror, having the acumen to recruit talent to replenish a roster that is woefully lacking. Still, Auburn’s power brokers didn’t slumber when it came time to add a vital escape clause to his contract.

according to USA TODAY Sports’ Blake ToppmeyerAs part of the package Freeze signed, which in theory remains valid until 2028, future payments could be structured on a monthly basis if he is actually fired.

“As the frost melts on the plains, its purchase The total would be $20.3 million after this season. If you think that protects Freeze, you don’t know Auburn.” wrote Toppmeyer in USA Today. “Auburn isn’t known for its sane handling of buses, but it shrewdly structured Freeze’s acquisition. How so? Like this: If Auburn fires Freeze, it could spread its financial obligations to him in monthly payments for the rest of his life. His contract runs through the 2028 season.” will continue.

“In other words, don’t think of the cost of firing Freeze as a massive cash drain. Instead, think of it as less than $4.9 million annually for the next four years.”

In the billion-dollar world of college football, there are players making more than $4.9 million annually through NIL.

Detailing how buyout packages might work this early in the Freeze tenure goes from, frankly, awesome to laughable. His lone hire will move him into the third year of his tenure at Auburn, but he will start 2025 on the hot seat.

All told, it’s all rumor at this point, but exactly how Freeze fixes the ship’s tilting is also a real stab in the dark right now.

Freeze prefers to coach his guys even harder the rest of the way no matter what, but in today’s transfer portal even that is extremely dangerous territory to stray from.

“We’re not going to humiliate kids,” Freeze insisted. “But we’re going to coach them hard, and the good ones have to want it.”

Admittedly, this wasn’t the way Freeze or the program envisioned things would turn out in his second season on the job. His consistent struggles this season have attracted the attention of national writers who cover buyouts.

This is dangerous territory for Freeze.