“Will provide them a great challenge” - Auburn HC Hugh Freeze drops blunt statement for Oklahoma’s first SEC road game

Auburn Tigers coach Hugh Freeze is excited to be Oklahoma's first Southeastern Conference road game in 2024. The Sooners will travel to play the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 5 on Sept. 28.

It will be the first conference road game for the Sooners since they joined the SEC on Monday. Although Oklahoma has played SEC teams in the past, this is its first road game as a member, and Freeze believes it will be a good challenge for Oklahoma.

"Jordan-Hare will provide them a great challenge," Freeze said, via 247Sports. "Got to spend some time around Coach Venables a couple of times. We ran into each other on vacation out of the blue with our families a few years back. Then visiting with him at SEC Spring Meetings, I think he does things the right way. He'll have a great football team."

Oklahoma has its first conference game the week before, as the Sooners host Tennessee. But playing on the road in the SEC is always tough, and Freeze is expecting Tigers fans to be loud for that game.

"Hopefully we'll be prepared as a team — because I know Jordan-Hare will be," Freeze said. "I wish they would get the night version of Jordan-Hare, but it will be rocking either way. I think they'll enjoy that experience for sure."

Oklahoma has opened as a 2.5-point favorite to defeat Auburn, even though the Sooners are on the road. But oddsmakers are expecting the game to be close, which should make for a great contest to watch.

Hugh Freeze excited about SEC expansion

Although some college football fans weren't happy with all the realignment, Hugh Freeze is excited about it.

The Tigers coach thinks adding more competition is good for the conference and makes every team strive to be that much better.

"The competition is going to be tough," Hugh Freeze said. "Then you add those two to it and it adds one more game to your schedule that's challenging. That's why you want to be in this conference. ... You're bringing two really good teams into this conference that will provide our fans and our players another great opportunity to play a great football team."

Auburn will have notable games against Oklahoma, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama in 2024.