“Easily could have beaten him”: Auburn’s Hugh Freeze voices bold view on going “toe-to-toe” with former Alabama HC Nick Saban

Hugh Freeze believes he should have four wins over Alabama's legendary coach, Nick Saban. The Auburn coach got candid about his rivalry with Saban in an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith on the “Marty & McGee Show."

"Nick is incredible, but I should have four wins against him ... we easily could have beat him a few more times," he said.

The Auburn coach pointed out two games he can’t shake off his mind. One was during his tenure at Ole Miss in 2016, where the Rebels surrendered a commanding second-quarter lead of 24-3. Despite the early advantage, Alabama stormed back, securing a 48-43 victory.

The second game Freeze referenced was even more heartbreaking for Auburn fans. It was the 2023 Iron Bowl, with Auburn moments away from upsetting the Crimson Tide until Nick Saban and his men made a comeback and clinched a 27-24 victory.

Hugh Freeze can't swallow 2023 Iron Bowl loss

The Auburn coach still can’t believe the agonizing loss to Alabama in the 2023 Iron Bowl. In the interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, Freeze expressed frustration over the narrow defeat.

“Not winning that game sucked,” Freeze said. “It stunk. It was disappointing. Hard.”

The 2023 Iron Bowl was a nail-biter, with Freeze’s Auburn squad going toe-to-toe with Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. Despite leading by four with less than a minute left, Alabama pulled off a dramatic win with a 4th-and-goal touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Isaiah Bond, a play famously dubbed “Gravedigger.”

“We’ve gotta coach better. If you’re not accountable through the week on little things, it’ll show up on third down, it’ll show up on fourth down,” Freeze said.

He felt that some faults lay on both coaching and team culture. However, Freeze found a silver lining.

“I didn’t think our roster was as good as theirs, but it gave me confidence that Auburn can return to the top quickly,” he added.

In his 11-year coaching career, Freeze's record is 80-54. He'd like to better that stat and reach 100 wins by leading the Auburn Tigers to an 11-game winning season in 2024.