The question was simple: does Hugh Freeze think he can win big at Auburn? Following a 6-6 season, a heartbreaking loss in the Iron Bowl and a bowl game awaiting the Tigers, the head coach didn't hesitate when giving a resounding answer.

"I'm absolutely, positively convinced this place can be an elite program," Freeze said.

It's been close to a year since Freeze took over a program in shambles due to a lack of recruiting the previous several years, and the Tigers' roster was extremely thin at some positions. Getting to a bowl game was an accomplishment in the first season on the Plains, although Freeze readily admits that winning only six games is something he can't really be proud of when there were excellent opportunities for that number to be more. But he is aware that Auburn has everything needed to become a title contender again.

"This place, the support it has, the energy, the fanbase, the culture, the family feel, the administration alignment, the facilities, everything is here for us to build, and I say build, these things don’t happen overnight, to build a championship team here," Freeze said. "We can do it."

So, how does he plan on getting Auburn back to the top? It starts with recruiting players who are not only talented but feel fortunate to be at a place like Auburn, where they have access to so many top-notch facilities.

"We have the resources to bless them," Freeze said. "Entitlement doesn’t come with that. They need to fit the culture and standard that should be for everybody, regardless of how blessed you feel you are. We should try to continue to earn those every single day because people are investing in us. I’m totally convinced."

As to what makes him the most proud after his first season, Freeze made it clear: the fans and the players.

"Man, the Auburn family and fans have blown me away, which makes us want to deliver to them a product that they can be so happy with," he said. "I’m proud of our kids and the fight that we showed. You lose four straight games, and that thing could have gone a lot of different ways. And I thought they stayed engaged, which says our staff did a decent job of keeping them engaged."