In an incredibly positive development, the Auburn Tigers didn’t lose a football game this past weekend. Of course, they didn’t play a football game either. I used to dread off weeks during the season because no Auburn football equaled no fun. The Tigers’ two bye weeks this year have been like an oasis in the middle of a desert.
Hugh Freeze indicated during his weekly press conference that quarterback Payton Thorne hasn’t been practicing due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Vanderbilt. I think the question of whether we would see a different quarterback moving forward has been answered.
Now, the question becomes will we see Walker White? I believe Hank Brown will start, but White could definitely see some meaningful playing time. There’s nothing really to lose. Even if he played in all three games remaining, he would still be able to redshirt.
Regardless, I’m going to follow the lead of the football team and take the week off from talking about this 2024 season. Instead, I’m going to talk about something truly exciting and worthy of praise. Bruce Pearl knew that he was going to have a very talented and experienced basketball team this year. He decided to put together the most challenging out-of-conference schedule ever played by an Auburn basketball team. There are a lot of advantages to playing a difficult schedule. It’s tremendous preparation for March Madness ensuring that a team is battle tested.
When it comes to seeding in the NCAA Tournament, teams with tough schedules are usually rewarded and given the benefit of the doubt. If a team is involved in a lot of high-profile games, they are going to receive a lot of national attention.
All those things are very positive and definitely benefit a team willing to take a risk schedule wise. The only downside is playing many of the best teams in the country on a weekly basis is really, really hard. Winning is the ultimate bottom line. If Auburn played the seven highest ranked teams in the country and lost every game by only one point, they would obviously be a very good team, but would also have a record of 0-7. That’s why it’s a risky strategy.
The Tigers have only played two games, but Bruce Pearl’s gamble is already turning up aces. Auburn traveled to Houston Saturday to take on the No. 4 Cougars and got the victory 74-69. It was an intense and terrific ballgame between two of the best defensive teams in the nation.
The Cougars are big and physical with tremendous athleticism. I was significantly encouraged to see Auburn wear them down in the second half and take control of the game. There were plenty of things to be excited about Saturday night, but the play of freshman Tahaad Pettiford was at the top of the list. The blue-chip recruit from Jersey City scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and accounted for 8 points in the last six minutes.
As good as he was shooting the ball, it was actually his leadership down the stretch that was invaluable. He became the general on the floor before our eyes and never flinched. Johni Broome was outstanding as usual and Cheney Johnson carried the offense in the first half.
Several players like Miles Kelly, Denver Jones and JP Pegues didn’t have great games, but I actually find that even more encouraging. Those guys will have their day and Auburn is going to need them, but the Tigers beat one of the best teams in the country in their own backyard and didn’t play their best. The sky is truly the limit.
As far as the “altercation” on the plane that made national news, those two players exhibited a level of immaturity, stupidity and lack of awareness I can’t even begin to explain. Perhaps Saturday night’s result will vividly illustrate to them how desperately they need this team and how little this team needs them.
Andy Graham is a co-host of Auburn Blitz and his column appears here weekly.