This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Steven Pearl Fires Shot at Hugh Freeze After Auburn's 95-90 Win in Season Opener. Auburn fans may have been excited for the start of basketball season with the lackluster outings on the gridiron, but they still ended up getting a small taste of football on Monday night.

Former Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback Jackson Arnold entered the transfer portal after a rough 2024 regular season at OU, and he quickly landed with Freeze and the Tigers. Arnold became Auburn's starter, and he played well for the first month or so of the season, but things spiraled for him after a 3-0 start.

John Cohen spent a sleepless Saturday night taking notes and reviewing footage after fans chanted for Freeze's dismissal during the Kentucky loss where Auburn scored just 3 points.

Auburn became the fourth job opening in the SEC following its firing of coach Hugh Freeze, who was 1-5 in league play and 15-19 overall. Auburn's early hot board features several recognizable names for a program seeking its fourth coach since winning the 2010 national championship.