23 August 2009, 8:08 pm
The Auburn football program is undergoing a transition in more ways than one. After 10 reasonably successful seasons under Thomas Hawley Tuberville (Tommy) he was fired days after the 36-0 2008 Alabama loss. Auburn is rated the 27th best college football program over all in the nation by The College Research Center. Coach Tuberville may be fondly remembered one day in Auburn. Looking at the over all numbers Tuberville was a decent coach. In 2004 he won the Paul "Bear" Bryant coach of the year award. Coach Tuberville in 2004 had an undefeated team and in so becoming the first and only SEC team to go undefeated and not be in the BCS Title Game. He was 5-3 in Bowl Games, 7-3 against Alabama (6 straight), 2004-08 finished in AP top 15, SEC Champs 2004 and 5-2 against top five teams. Gene Chizik a former Auburn defensive coordinator will take over as head coach in 2009. Can Coach Chizik equal or surpass those numbers in ten years? Who knows if he will make it a full season. But Tommy will always be known for losing winnable games which cost Auburn BCS Bowl Games and lying to the fine people of Oxford, Mississippi he left there to come to Auburn. Ironic in 2009 Ole Miss is preseason #8 and going to destroy Auburn in all likely hood. Another obstacle for Auburn to overcome is the loss of it's financial base Colonial Bancgroup went under and is being sold to BB&T. Bobby Lowder was CEO and founded the bank the largest to fail this year. He is a big player and contributes to the Auburn program. Pat Dye was also on the Board of Directors Dye is arguably the face of Auburn Football and a former head coach. Finally Nick Saban Head Coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide has the hammer in his hand and is in the process of driving the last nail in Auburn's football coffin. With the "cash for clunkers program" you see less Auburn bumper stickers around ironic right. Who needs a '98 F150 that you need a ladder to get in anymore but they were a staple on the Plains at one time. Auburn's old Athletic Director of the University David Housel could be blamed in the end. He is quoted as saying Auburn has the most copied tradition in college football "Tiger Walk" but for the record Stanford did a walk first. Auburn students roll Toomer's Corner on campus after wins. That practice alone could be in jeopardy with the economy and the fact their killing more trees in the process of using toilet paper also you have to win.. In 2009 Auburn visits Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas. They might even be an underdog to Ball State. The rise of The Tide in 2009 will lead many more Auburn fans to convert as the Tigers sink into mediocrity. The days of "Touchdown Auburn", Bo Jackson's runs, Tilman's catches and even Tommy's charm are over. Hopefully for Auburn its survival does not rely on the results of the 2009 season because all signs point to failure just check the resent Lee County arrest records. But do not worry Auburn if the football program goes under you have one of the best Swimming Teams in the nation. But unfortunately people in Alabama do not care about swimming. After a few years of 4 win seasons 8 wins will seem like an accomplishment and the fans that are left will say "why did we fire Tommy"?
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