We've reached the back half of the month of September, and for the Auburn Tigers that means the eight-game journey into SEC play begins.
Right out of the gate, the Tigers will get a chance to right a wrong from the 2024 season by facing the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday (2:30 CT on ABC). In last season's showdown, the Tigers seemed to have control of the game until the Sooners took over in the 4th quarter to win 27-21.
Before Auburn looks to seek revenge on the Sooners, here's some of what you may have missed during the week.
Not sure if you have heard about this, but Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold used to play at Oklahoma. Now that it's been established, Arnold comes back to the scene of perhaps the watershed moment of his college football career.
Against Tennessee in Oklahoma's SEC opener, Arnold was pulled from the game due to early turnovers. In a story done by AL.com's Peter Rauterkus, he details how that game, and that moment altered Arnold's career.
"I thought I was gonna lose it," Jackson's father, Todd Arnold said. "I was just like, 'You walked out of there and no one said anything to you?'"
It has been one of the more anticipated meetings of the SEC regular season games of the season, and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables had mostly been coy about Arnold's return to Norman but was very complementary of Arnold this past Wednesday.
"Jackson's one of the most talented players in all of college football," Venables said. "He can throw. He's got a big arm, can run and has great capacity intellectually as a football player. He has great leadership skills, and he's been a winner his whole life."
One person who has been in Arnold's shoes over his career is his head coach, Auburn's Hugh Freeze. While head coach at Liberty, Freeze returned to Ole Miss so if there's someone who understands what it means to handle a tough environment, it's Freeze.
Last season, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled in their inaugural SEC campaign and massive changes were made. Most notably, at quarterback and offensive coordinator.
The Sooners new OC is Ben Arbuckle who spent his time at Washington State last season, and the quarterback? Former Washington State quarterback, John Mateer. Mateer has already garnered the same Heisman buzz as former transfer quarterbacks such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and former Alabama quarterback Jalen hurts.
This is the second showcase game for Mateer following a successful home outing vs. Michigan in Week 2. While Mateer's passing game has taken center stage, his running ability is equally as dangerous.
"It's difficult," Hugh Freeze told reporters on Thursday. "You gotta guard him and worry about him running too."
On the defensive side of the ball, Auburn faces a stingy Oklahoma defense that has limited opponents to 6.3 points per game, and 181 total yards per game. However, one of the most important OU defenders will be out due to a targeting call in their previous game vs. Temple.
Defensive end R Mason Thomas led Oklahoma in sacks last season with nine, including two vs. Auburn.
Saturday's SEC opener marks and important point in the 2025 Auburn season, but also an important moment for Hugh Freeze in his Auburn tenure.
Over the last 10 seasons, the Auburn Tigers are 6-5 in SEC openers but have not won one since 2022, and 2021 was Auburn's last road win to open the SEC schedule.
AL.com's Jerry Humphrey takes a look at the what's made Auburn successful and not-so successful over the last decade, perhaps it may set the tone for Saturday's Oklahoma-Auburn showdown.