Justin and Dan open the show by breaking down the recent trio of transfer portal pickups for Auburn football: Maryland linebacker Caleb Wheatland, returning Liberty defensive lineman Jay Hardy and Florida A&M defensive lineman James Ash. They look at the past production of the three additions and how they might become valuable depth pieces — or better — this fall.

The guys use that news to transition into an overall look at the Auburn football defense at this point in the offseason. They look back at the biggest problem that plagued that side of the ball in 2024 and how it could be fixed in 2025. Dan points out all the youth the Tigers had last year. Justin looks at how Auburn might be somewhat ahead of schedule on defense, judging by DJ Durkin’s past SEC stops.

The episode ends with a look at Auburn basketball’s addition of Elyjah Freeman and how unique his path to the Plains has been. The guys discuss Freeman’s strengths, where he fits in the best on the roster and how he affects the rest of the offseason plans under Bruce Pearl. They close with a discussion of the top TV offerings on the streaming service that will always be known as HBO Max.

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Justin and Dan open the show by discussing the big news of Chad Baker-Mazara’s decision to enter the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. The guys discuss CBM’s legacy at Auburn and why his time with the Tigers was ultimately a success. They also look at the factors that weigh into this decision and how it affects the roster reloading process moving forward.

After a discussion of Tahaad Pettiford’s NBA Draft decision and where Keyshawn Hall best fits the current lineup, they turn their attention to the three new pickups Auburn added this week in the portal: Texas Tech guard Kevin Overton, Mississippi State big KeShawn Murphy and JUCO center Emeka Opurum.

The guys close the show with a free-wheeling breakdown of movies that somehow starts with Repo Man and ends with the 30 For 30 documentary series. Dan has an interesting pick for his favorite baseball film. Justin hypes one he hasn’t seen yet.

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Justin and Dan recap what they saw and heard from Auburn football during the new-look A-Day open practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They talk about the positives of the format and how the changes might be a good thing for everyone involved in the long run.

The guys then go position-by-position to recap what they learned during spring ball for the Tigers. How much did Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight benefit from practices? Is the wide receiver hype warranted? Where are the concerns on offense?

On defense, they look at a deep secondary room, a linebacker room that had some intriguing developments over the last few weeks, and the reloaded line of scrimmage. They finish by looking at the old and new faces on a special teams unit looking to take a step forward after a shaky 2024.

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Instead of a written Mailbag on this Friday, Justin pivots towards a mailbag version and enlists Dan to help him answer subscriber questions. Topics for this episode include…

* Priorities in the transfer portal for Auburn basketball

* Who the Tigers might go after in the frontcourt and at point guard

* Tahaad Pettiford’s NBA Draft decision

* The biggest differences at practice for both football and basketball

* Why Auburn’s best team ever not winning it all isn’t cause for doom and gloom

* Favorite restaurants from Justin’s NCAA run and Dan’s WNIT run

* The Nice Guys vs. The Other Guys

* The Masters champions dinner

* Springtime in Auburn

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Justin and Dan break down Auburn’s Final Four loss to Florida. The guys look at what changed between the first half and the second half for the Tigers and how Walter Clayton Jr. felt virtually unstoppable for most of the game. They talk about fatigue playing a role in the performance, along with the cooled-off 3-point shooting and the injuries to Johni Broome toward the end of the NCAA Tournament.

Toward the middle of the show, the guys look at all of the outgoing seniors on this season’s team and talk about their journeys in this historic season. Justin makes a point about Broome’s GOAT status. Dan shares his thoughts on Dylan Cardwell’s March Madness run and how it will go down in history.

After talking about Auburn basketball’s potential returners — including Tahaad Pettiford — and the new pickup of Big 12 leading scorer Keyshawn Hall, they close with a large list of thank yous and shoutouts. The episode ends with a discussion of jinxes and, of course, food.

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In this special two-part Final Four episode, Justin and Dan lead off by giving the official Observer podcast preview of Auburn’s rematch with Florida in San Antonio.

Then, in the second half of the show, Dave, Pablo and Painter give you their thoughts in a new edition of Friends of the Program.

Two podcasts, one episode. If there was ever a time to do this, it’s right now. Enjoy.

Note: For those who are new to The Observer: Friends of the Program is a freewheeling discussion among three Auburn fans. Their thoughts and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Observer management, and some language might not be suitable for all listeners.

The first half of the show at least pretends to be a professional endeavor.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

NOTE: The original version of this podcast had some technical difficulties. Those have been fixed in the new file.

Justin settles back home on the Plains briefly as Dan calls in from North Dakota to discuss Auburn basketball’s nearly wire-to-wire Elite Eight win over Michigan State to punch a return trip to the Final Four for the second time in school history.

The guys start by discussing how Auburn was able to win with defense and how it overcame a shaky shooting performance from the field. Dan makes a point about Chaney Johnson and Dylan Cardwell’s performances when Johni Broome went down with an elbow injury. Justin breaks down Broome’s dominance, from the hot start to the dramatic 3-pointer that virtually sealed the victory.

They continue by looking at how Auburn’s guards had their moments of offensive excellence against the Spartans and why that could be a good sign heading toward San Antonio. The episode ends with a salute to the subscribers and Fargo talk. (Not the movie.)

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Justin checks in from Atlanta as Dan gets ready to head to North Dakota. The guys discuss Auburn basketball’s massive comeback win over Michigan in the Sweet 16, led by the outstanding shotmaking from Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones.

They start by looking at why things were going so poorly for Auburn’s offense for most of the game — and why Johni Broom…

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Justin and Dan preview Auburn basketball’s Sweet 16 showdown with Michigan. They start by making a point about the success for this team before the second weekend begins and how they’ve positioned themselves strongly with what should be a familiar and favorable atmosphere in Atlanta.

The breakdown starts with a look at Tre Donaldson, who has gone to Michigan to run the show at point guard and has led the Wolverines to a great turnaround season. Justin looks at the matchup between Donaldson and Denver Jones. Dan makes a point about what this game means for the other guards on the floor.

Then the guys take a closer look at the matchup of Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson against Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. They look at what it might take for either frontcourt to have success and the keys to victory for Auburn down low. The episode concludes with a rundown of the rest of the Sweet 16, thoughts on Texas’ new men’s basketball coach and Atlanta restaurants to know.

This is a premium podcast for Observer subscribers only. You can join by clicking the button below or going to this link. We’re running a special: Your first full year of the Observer for just $40 — that’s 33% off the regular price.

Justin and Dan break down Auburn's hard-fought win over Creighton to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. The guys discuss how the Tigers spent the 48 hours after the Alabama State game calling each other out and how they showed from the opening tip that things would be different.

They talk about how Auburn’s defense weathered the storm in the first half and wore Creighton’s offense down in the second half. Dan gives props to Dylan Cardwell for arguably his biggest game in an Auburn uniform. Justin takes a closer look at how Tahaad Pettiford showed he — and the rest of the Tigers’ offense — was built for this moment from the beginning.

The guys also take some time toward the end of the show to discuss the hiring of Larry Vickers, Auburn’s new women’s basketball coach. They close with a discussion of Conan O’Brien, outro songs and Lexington eats.

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Photo Credit: Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

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