He's back! Though, in truth, Hugh Freeze hasn't really been gone the past few years. He merely spent the time encamped a bit off the beaten track in Virginia at Liberty, which made a quick and dramatic ascent in recent years. That Freeze is back in the SEC, however, does rate as a bit of a surprise, especially after his embarrassing ouster at Ole Miss six years ago. Commisioner Greg Sankey, not amused at the circumstances of Freeze's dismissal, once said (effectively) that Freeze would never coach again in the conference. Someone, however, forgot to tell Auburn, which after last season went ahead and hired Freeze anyway, not bothering to ask for Sankey's blessing...

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Auburn's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the SEC season.

SEC preview: Conference winner | Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Ole Miss | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas A&M | Vanderbilt

2023 Auburn at a glance

• Last Year: 5-7 SU, 5-6-1 ATS, 8-4 O/U
  
• Returning Starters: Offense 2; Defense 8
• Win Total: 6.5 (Over -145, Under +115)
  

What do you need to know about Auburn before locking in your SEC futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see SEC futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!