This is an opinion column.

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Former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold left Oklahoma for Auburn.

It looks like Hugh Freeze has learned his lesson. And maybe Arnold too.

Last season, Auburn’s coach had a chance to play at quarterback, but instead opted to stick with starter Payton Thorne. It wasn’t out of loyalty. Freeze apparently didn’t want to spend money on a quarterback when he knew his team wasn’t going to be an SEC Championship or College Football Playoff contender.

The transfer portal has been open for a week this Monday and Auburn is making serious moves. But a good quarterback can only do so much.

Just ask Bo Nix.

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Anyone who knows the ball understands that you also need a quality offensive line. Arnold didn’t have that at Oklahoma, so he waved so long to Norman and coach Brent Venables. However, Arnold didn’t do it without some personal assurance. In addition to Arnold, Auburn’s Freeze also entered the portal and grabbed a veteran offensive lineman.

Xavier Chaplin is a 6-7, 323 pound offensive tackle from South Carolina. He played at Virginia Tech for three years, but will now guard Arnold full time at Auburn.

The rebuild at Auburn is almost complete. It took a few years, but Freeze’s plan came to fruition.

Auburn has had two Top 10 recruiting classes, and Freeze believes his Tigers need three classes in a row to be on par with rivals Georgia and Alabama. Auburn has an advantage in 2025, though, and we all know what that is. The Tigers get Alabama and Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Here’s my bold prediction for 2025. Auburn will make the next College Football Playoff ahead of Alabama.

I’m not saying Kalen DeBoer is on the hot seat yet, but things won’t get any easier for Alabama’s new coach next season. The Crimson Tide missed the playoffs last week despite home wins this season against Georgia and Auburn. Next season, the Tide will put both teams on the road.

DeBoer’s Alabama went 2-3 on the road this season with losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. The defeat at Oklahoma on November 23 had three effects. First, it kept Alabama out of the College Football Playoff. Second, it made Arnold a lot of money. And third, it delayed the inevitable for OU coach Brent Venables.

If there’s one SEC coach whose seat is hotter than the rest heading into 2025, it’s Venables at Oklahoma. The Sooners went 6-6 overall in 2024 and 2-6 in the SEC. OU’s wins were against the SEC contingent in Alabama, but the Sooners’ starting quarterback then left for Auburn. It hurts.

Remember when Venables said he chose to coach at Oklahoma over Auburn? Looks like Auburn might finally win.

College football teams today need at least one billionaire to remain elite. Oregon has Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Auburn has Jimmy Rane, the founder of Yellawood. The freeze will succeed in Auburn as long as the money keeps flowing.

Freeze’s record was 11-14 in his first two seasons at Auburn, but he did well to rebuild the Tigers after former coach Bryan Harsin destroyed the program.

Harsin will go down as the worst coach in Southeastern Conference history. He was a terrible recruiter, but it wasn’t just that. Harsin was the gifted quarterback Bo Nix, and then he chased Nix.

Many people questioned Auburn’s decision to hire Freeze – myself included – but he deserves credit for having major recruiting victories on the Plains after the Harsin Apocalypse. The freeze isn’t over, but the Tigers are back. Better yet, they’re doing it with local talent.

When it comes to recruiting, Freeze now owns Alabama State. He outranked former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia coach Kirby Smart for key players in 2024. That wasn’t a fluke, but an insight. With the 2025 class, Auburn landed 11 recruits from Alabama and DeBoer only managed two.

No one should question DeBoer’s ability to sell out Auburn anymore. The fans are behind him and so is the money. Questions within the state are now moving west. Can Tide’s DeBoer keep up?

BE HEARD

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Joseph Goodman is the leading sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group and author of the book “We want Bama: a season of hope and the creation of Nick Saban’s ultimate team.”