say they give him one more year to turn it around. I bet they make him clean house (for real this time) on the offensive staff and bring in these 2009 recruits and see what happens.

First and foremost, I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Auburn football and the situations that they may face, so I cannot say anything in any definitive manner. However, a few thoughts:

From an analytical perspective, I think it would be almost impossible for anyone to objectively determine what would happen with the Auburn coaching situation from the outside. It’s just such an odious situation with its history. Everyone knows Lowder and company tried to fire him in 2003, then came ‘04 and the massive buyout… but of course everyone knows there is still bad blood galore down there, and clearly Tuberville has been interested, at the very least, in other jobs the past year or two. As odd as this situation is, I don’t know if you could ever even predict anything with even the smallest degree of accuracy. It’s basically a crapshoot.

Now, moving on, if the bottom does fall out on Auburn, I could see there being some movement there, depending on how things go. I think you have to say that, unless things change, they will at least lose to Alabama and Georgia, so that would put them, at best, at 8-4 and probably playing in the Liberty or Music City Bowl. However, unless the offense really starts to show some life, I could see a slip-up against someone like WVU or Ole Miss, so I wouldn’t be overly shocked if we saw something like 7-5. Now, if they end up 7-5 and we beat them pretty good, I could very well see some movement. I’m not sure that Tuberville would be fired, per se, but I could see them working out a situation with the buyout to where Auburn waives it and allows Tuberville to take another job.

If all of the aforementioned happens, I do think that would be a legitimate possibility. Of course, possibility does not mean guarantee, or even probability, so Tuberville may very well be back next year. I would, actually, think that would be the case, but again I do think it could go the other way too.

One thing, however, is crystal clear: Tuberville has got to reverse things quickly or his time will be drawing near. I know the Auburn people cannot get enough of six straight, but it’s obvious that the two programs are heading in divergent directions. Last year saw a solid 8-4 campaign by Auburn, but it was the worst season since 2003, and this year is likely to be no better and perhaps worse. Moving beyond this year, as exciting as the start has been for Alabama, it’s only the beginning for the Tide, and with the struggles Auburn has had the past couple of years on the recruiting trails, they’ve got some struggles looming just from a talent and depth perspective. It was 8-4 last year, likely 8-4 at best this year, and frankly the future years do not look any more promising.

Bottom line, Tuberville has to do something to reverse this trend, or his time is drawing near. Now I don’t know when that means, or how it will all work out, but the end result, I feel, is pretty clear.

Finally, as for a blowout in the Iron Bowl, don’t bank on it. The Iron Bowl is probably the most physically punishing game played in all of college football, and those guys on both sides go all-out. Even when you have one great team and one bad team, it’s a close game. Our 1992 national championship team, for example, went into halftime tied 0-0 with an Auburn team that didn’t even make a bowl; their undefeated 2004 team was trailing our 6-6 Mike Shula team in the third quarter. Again, no matter how good we are or how bad Auburn is, you can almost bet the farm it will be a close game. Truthfully, in the post-Bryant era, there has really only been about one legitimate blowout in this series (2001), and frankly I don’t expect to see that change this year. I imagine it will be another extremely hard-fought game that goes down to the end.