The Auburn Observer

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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. Enjoy.

In this episode of The Friends of the Program…

* how a morning bet from Painter led to Auburn’s win at Florida

* normalize slamming home a dunk to close a victory

* Steven Pearl vs. Todd Golden

* “a pretty strong slap on the butt there”

* a trip down memory lane back to 2023

* the Charles Bediako situation

* Keyshawn Hall, what a guy

* “Johni Broome actually got me to turn on a G-League game”

* how Dylan Cardwell can turn into Hakeem Olajuwon by his second contract

* what the fellas would do if Auburn tried to bring a pro onto its team

* “you mean, like, the Russian man?”

* a special message to the haters

* “about time we got some talent at The Observer”

* Dave tries to petition to write a newsletter

* why it’s now important to come in second for 5-stars in football

* analysis of how many times a quarterback has been compared to Cam Newton

* “where am I supposed to find an Ole Miss basketball fan to trash talk?”

* an update on egg prices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.auburnobserver.com

Justin and Dan recap Auburn basketball’s crucial road win at Ole Miss and look ahead to a literally gigantic challenge at Florida on Saturday. Topics for this episode include:

* the numerous ways in which Auburn outfought Ole Miss

* how this team continues to score (and win) without hitting from the outside

* Tahaad Pettiford’s ability …

Justin and Dan look back at Auburn basketball getting a win it absolutely needed against South Carolina behind Filip Jović’s breakout performance, then they talk about the work Alex Golesh and staff are doing in the transfer portal for Auburn football. Topics for this episode include:

* the benefits of winning when a team needs a win

* the conditions that led to Jović’s massive game

* is Auburn’s frosty three-point shooting a concern?

* how elements of Tahaad Pettiford’s game reversed course after the Missouri loss

* Dan’s reasons to believe the team can improve between now and the end of the season

* a brief preview of Ole Miss before Justin heads to Oxford

* a player-by-player breakdown of Auburn’s latest incoming football transfers

* which positions seem to have clear-cut favorites to start and which positions seem to suggest heavy competition

* Scrap joining a long line of great Auburn names

* an update about Troy Women’s Basketball’s quest for the Sun Belt title

* an ode to watching historic sports moments at bars in airports

* a preview of the CFP National Championship Game

* Dan takes victory laps after predicting success for Dylan Cardwell and Fernando Mendoza

* several failed attempts by Dan to give Jović a nickname, including one that causes Justin audible pain

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.auburnobserver.com

Justin and Dan provide a detailed breakdown of Auburn basketball’s deflating loss at Missouri. Topics for this episode include:

* what went wrong

* a rough night at the office for Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford

* why Steven Pearl’s postgame remarks about leadership were so illuminating

* Auburn’s lack of depth, where it impacts offense and defense, and where it doesn’t

* the importance of Sebastian Williams-Adams to this team

* the ongoing search for consistency

* a home matchup on Saturday against South Carolina that takes on added importance after the Missouri game

* Meechie? Again?

* Auburn women’s basketball picking up a massive home win against Alabama while the podcast was being recorded

* a thrilling installment of The Wings 94.3 Game

* the hilarious Kyle Tucker news

* Grubserver talk about Pizza Tree, Hawaiian Bros, and In-N-Out Burger

* Dan nominates a few actors who had De Niro-esque 10-year runs

* a formal invitation to appear on the show for one of the Observer’s favorite actor/wrestlers

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

Justin and Dan go deep on Auburn basketball’s massive and much-needed home win over Arkansas before discussing the latest big-time pickups in the transfer portal for Auburn football. Topics for this episode include:

* how the Tigers flashed their impressive ceiling once again

* Auburn’s players saying they had to win this one for the fans

* Keyshawn Hall putting himself in Auburn history with another 30-ball

* why Hall’s game was much more than just scoring at an elite level

* Tahaad Pettiford making a huge difference while not hitting many shots

* Auburn’s defensive excellence against one of the nation’s best offenses

* the Tigers’ ability to rebound at a very high rate against bigger teams

* Justin’s take about just how good this Auburn offense can be

* why Blake Muschalek played over Kaden Magwood on Saturday

* a brief preview of a road test against a massive Missouri team

* how much better could Auburn football’s offense be next season?

* landing Keshaun Singleton and the importance of continuity

* the upgrade at quarterback with Byrum Brown

* a look back at the transfer quarterback class in 2025

* Cam Coleman to Texas… and Deuce Knight to Ole Miss

* Baylor transfer Bryson Washington’s potential in an Alex Golesh offense

* the surprise pickup of Jake Johnson at tight end

* Dan’s take on new transfer offensive tackle Jo Simmons

* looking at a few recent pickups on the defensive side and what could be next

* “the West Coast of the Sun Belt”

* check out this up-and-coming film actor: Robert De Niro

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.auburnobserver.com

Justin and Dan go long (Byrum Brown term) once again to talk all things Auburn basketball and Auburn football in another loaded week for both sports. Topics include:

* the controversial ending to the Texas A&M game

* why the SEC isn’t interested in transparency with officiating

* how Auburn should have never found itself in that positio…

Justin and Dan burn some midnight oil back in the Wings 94.3 studio, talking all things Auburn football in the transfer portal before a deep dive into the first two SEC games for Auburn basketball. Topics for this episode include:

* the “latest” on Byrum Brown and Keshaun Singleton, as of Monday night

* why these timelines feel different — and more stressful for some fans

* what Nykahi Davenport could bring to Auburn’s running back room

* how the Tigers are reloading the wide receiver room rather quickly

* some names to watch along the offensive and defensive lines

* holding onto some key young players on the defensive side of the ball

* Justin’s Auburn comp for Fred Gaskin III

* Dan’s love of all things Florida panhandle recruits

* why you shouldn’t get caught up too much in the transfer rankings

* Auburn basketball’s defensive issues and what can be done to fix it

* how the Tigers showed a ton of fight in the comeback in Athens

* why the guards — not the bigs — are the biggest concerns right now

* Filip Jović being an example to follow moving forward

* a breakdown of a brand-new Texas A&M rotation running Bucky Ball

* the Tigers’ keys to success against the Aggies

* how much has your opinion on Auburn basketball’s ceiling changed?

* a shoutout to new Observer contributor Justin Lee and The Auburn Torch

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.auburnobserver.com

Justin and Dan are both remote and in-person for this podcast episode, talking all things portal for Auburn football before calling Dawgs247’s Jordan Hill to preview Auburn basketball’s SEC opener at Georgia. Topics include:

* Cam Coleman, Deuce Knight and the negative transfer portal news…

* …along with the six confirmed returns for…

Justin and Dan are back in the Wings 94.3 studio after a week off for the holidays, and they change it up by talking some Auburn football before diving into football. Topics for this episode include:

* note: this episode was recorded before the Connor Lew news

* the latest outgoing portal movement for Auburn football

* Auburn’s changing NIL and revenue-sharing approach

* how the Xavier Atkins retention is feeling bigger by the week

* increased optimism of Cam Coleman’s return to the Plains

* the Sunk Cost Fallacy and South Carolina

* why Auburn fans shouldn’t freak out too much right now

* Tahaad Pettiford and KeShawn Murphy’s positive injury news

* the real challenge of facing Queens’ offense on Monday night

* the real opportunity in facing Queens’ defense on Monday night

* setting the tone in the final non-conference game before going to Georgia

* The Auburn Observer’s plans for 2026

* Justin accidentally going viral with a tweet about his mother-in-law

* Dan’s review of Marty Supreme

* not The Queens of the Stone Age song you were expecting (or maybe it was)

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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

Justin checks in from Indianapolis to break down what he saw in Indianapolis in Auburn basketball’s loss to Purdue with Dan. Topics include:

* why this game felt different than the Arizona and Purdue losses

* Steven Pearl’s read of the situation, even if some fans don’t agree with it

* this sport is about getting buckets

* Auburn’s need to do more in the back to counter what it lacks in the front

* the statistical outliers of Purdue’s shooting performance

* how Auburn didn’t get much on offense outside of Kevin Overton

* the injury fears for Tahaad Pettiford and KeShawn Murphy

* has the non-conference schedule changed your opinion of this team?

* looking ahead to a more favorable-looking start to SEC play

* Tahaad Pettiford heading into the second half of the season

* the importance of ratcheting up pressure and finding ways to generate turnovers

* a wild stat about Auburn’s free-throw battles

* can the Tigers find a new big at the last second — and develop another guard?

* Justin’s Grubserver review of two very Indianapolis meals

* Dan’s review of the new Avatar movie

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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