Everything was seemingly going smoothly for Auburn and its athletic director, John Cohen, just a month and a half ago. Fresh off a trip to the Final Four and an SEC regular-season title, Bruce Pearl was returning for his 12th season in charge of a basketball program that had reached heights never imagined.
On the football end, the Tigers were 3-0 with an impressive road victory at Baylor to start the season. Hugh Freeze, who entered the year on the hot seat after two disappointing seasons to begin his tenure on the Plains, seemed to have the quarterback and the answer to what plagued the Tigers.