On today’s episode of The Auburn Express, Ike Jones sits down with Clay Owen, a professor at the University of South Carolina and creator of the College Sports Social Pulse. This innovative project tracks how fans, players, teams, and coaches are performing on social media across college football.

Key highlights from the conversation:

📊 What is the College Sports Social Pulse?

A data-driven system tracking fan engagement across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit.

Goes beyond volume—analyzes positive vs. negative sentiment, likes, shares, and overall engagement.

🟠 Auburn’s Big Leap

After the Tigers’ strong showing vs. Baylor, Coach Hugh Freeze jumped from #44 to #3 nationally in the Social Pulse rankings.

Auburn’s online fanbase helped fuel the rise with heavy engagement and positive energy.

🏈 How Auburn Stacks Up

Auburn as a team ranked #8 after Week 1.

QB Jackson Arnold fell from #4 to #26 due to the run-heavy offensive attack—but the RBs got plenty of shine.

Auburn fans are proving to be one of the most active and passionate groups online.

🔥 Why This Matters

Fan energy is driving national attention.

Social media engagement helps shape perception of programs, recruits, and even coaching narratives.

Auburn fans are showing they can compete online with the biggest brands in college football.

This episode proves what we already knew: Auburn fans don’t just show up on Saturdays—they show up online every day.

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