This is an opinion column.

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The mailbag is back after a couple weeks away and this week’s edition doesn’t disappoint. Thanks to everyone for writing in.

The hot topics heading into the weekend are Auburn’s coaches. Football coach Hugh Freeze is dealing with the arrest of one of his best players and basketball coach Bruce Pearl seems to be testing the waters for a stunning career change. Let’s get it to.

William in Birmingham writes …

A possible column? Bruce Pearl is known nationally for his right-wing political mouthing, backing the MAGA party line and heaping criticism on Democrats by name. No other coach has come close to his antics. Has any sports commentator ever checked with the AU administration, with players or recruits and their families?

ANSWER: To quote Michael Jordan, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”

Pearl seems to be flirting with a career in politics, but my stance on his future hasn’t changed from a couple months ago: Bruce Pearl, say it ain’t so. Auburn basketball is too good for Pearl to walk away. He has built one of the best programs in the country and fans love Auburn hoops. It’s a remarkable story. It would be shocking for him to walk away at the top of his game for a risky career in politics.

As for Pearl’s outspoken nature, that’s part of his charm for a lot of people. Whether you agree with him or not, Pearl is a good fit for Auburn.

Personally, I appreciate Pearl’s support of Israel and his passionate voice. The people close to him might not agree with everything he says, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still appreciate him as a person and a coach. The world isn’t so black and white as the internet makes it out to be. Some people just don’t care about politics. Others are more concerned with winning basketball games and making money.

Pearl is one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, and also one of the most interesting.

Why doesn’t Auburn tell Pearl to focus on basketball? Well, maybe the university and its big-money backers agree with him and enjoy supporting his political agenda.

Robert in Stapleton, Ala., writes …

I appreciate you calling it like you see it regarding Freeze and the overall state of the Auburn football team. I’ve never thought Freeze was a quality hire and I admit I’ve been reluctant to give him the benefit of the doubt. To your credit, you’ve been more than willing to give him a fair shot. I’m never ever pleased when promising young men take a path that leads to a dead end. I hope someone at Auburn can intervene in the situation and turn it around. I’m not sure Freeze is the guy to do that? Thanks for keeping it real.

T.E. writes …

At the rate you’re going (and have gone MANY times in the past) your epitaph SHOULD read: “Joe Badman, PRACTITIONER OF DESPICABLE YELLOW JOURNALISM.”

Iceman on the Gulf Coast …

My dog Rasta was hoping that this would be Auburn’s breakout season. Not that she really cares much for football, it’s just that she has gained a few pounds over the summer (the mullet fishing has been good) and it is now a tight squeeze to get under the bed.

So with the Auburn football media guide beginning to look like a rap sheet, she has implored me to raise the height of the bed so that her mullet-laden belly can shimmy far underneath it. As an Auburn alum, it is embarrassing that our “student athletes” are engaging in not just unlawful activities, but domestic violence and drug dealing.

Maybe Nike, Auburn’s new uniform provider, should put out a black-and-white pinstripe football uniform for them. The real question is this: Can Freeze help these Tigers change their stripes? Time will tell, and it’s not too far away!!

Jim in L.A. (Lower Alabama) writes …

Another good column on Auburn football and its problems. My point is this: Being a huge Alabama fan, one would think I would be happy about their problems — I’m not! Auburn football in this state matters. They need to be good and competitive. It affects Alabama’s economy, peace of mind and just about everything in daily life. Not to mention what people think about Alabama as a state nationwide. Stay on them. I do not know where Freeze is going with his outlook with just a few recruits, and good players [allegedly] beating women.

Dana writes …

Back in the day, the players had to live in an athlete dorm with close supervision … Then came all sorts of demands for change.

ANSWER: Close supervision? Sounds almost like a work camp.

Let’s not forget that going off to college is, theoretically, still about learning how to grow up and be an adult. At least that’s how it was in the late 90s when I was in school. Things have changed at college campuses, but some young adults will always choose to make bad decisions.

But there’s a difference between youthful idiocy and the charges against D’Angelo Barber and Simmons.

Simmons’ arrest couldn’t have come at a worse time for Freeze. A domestic violence charge against one of his best players the day after Freeze spoke about his team’s potential at SEC Media Days is the kind of thing that sours fans on a coach and his team.

It’s possible that Simmons remains on the team after an investigation, but it doesn’t look good for the receiver from Alexander City. He was charged with the alleged strangulation and suffocation of his girlfriend. Barber, who is from Birmingham, is already off the team.

Auburn has enough quality receivers to absorb the loss of Simmons, but his kind of speed and quickness can’t be replaced so easily. The loss of Simmons would take away from the offense’s potential on deep routes.

I’m not ready to write off Freeze and the Tigers. I still think Auburn can have a good season: Time is now for Hugh Freeze to resurrect Auburn. These arrests dampen the mood, though. Maybe Freeze can land a few big-time recruits over the next couple weeks and change the narrative. Auburn needs to make a statement in its opener against Baylor. The pressure is mounting.

But let’s not forget that Nick Saban predicted last season that Auburn would be the SEC’s breakout team. Saban was a year off. I’m still riding with Auburn in 2025. The pieces are in place for a 10-win season. Quarterback Jackson Arnold can be the SEC’s most improved player, and I hope he is.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”