Is Tennessee's Possible Demise Bad News for Auburn Football?

Yes, in today's information age, the news of Lane Kiffin's hasty retreat back to the City of Angels is already old news.

As by now we all know, The Talented Mr. Kiffin has high-tailed it out of Rocky Top for what he believes to be greener pastures.

Whether or not he is correct, well, obviously remains to be seen.

But what, if anything, does it mean for Auburn? 

A wise man informed me today of a little history of what I will now coin The Tennessee/Alabama Effect.

In a nutshell, over the past several years, whenever the Crimson Tide is struggling, the Volunteers and/or Tigers are having great success in the SEC, and vice versa. 

Now, let's get to my astute friend's specific point, and on to the purpose of my title's question. 

When he stated the fact that the fiasco in Knoxville could spell trouble for Auburn football, my first thought went to recruiting. I asked, "Do you mean that if UT is not getting some top players, many of those kids will end up in Tuscaloosa?" 

Turns out I was only slightly right. While there could certainly be a correlation between recruits lost by Tennessee and those gained by Alabama, especially given the geography and proximity between the two hated rivals, it seems there could be something much greater lurking in the shadows.

After my question was posed, my friend replied, "It is a lot more than just recruiting. Historically when Tennessee and Auburn have their 'stuff' together, Alabama struggles."

Okay, I can handle that. But of course, he was not finished.

"The Vols and Tigers are Alabama's oldest and most hated rivals. If one self-destructs, then Alabama can focus on a 'one-front' conflict...and that ain't good."

Interesting. 

Now I am one whose pride will not let him believe that even with a struggling Tennessee program in shambles and the Crimson Tide coming off a spectacular run to the National Championship, it spells the beginning of the end for Auburn football.

But for argument's sake, let's think about this.

Can you remember the last time Auburn and Alabama were both at the top of the mountain, battling for the top spot in the Western Division, or the SEC, not to mention the nation? 

I haven't been around long enough to think I've seen much, but I know I haven't seen an Iron Bowl that was a "winner take all" in the SEC Western Division, sending said winner to Atlanta. They simply both have not been in that position in the same year.

My benevolent friend had yet another point about Alabama and Tennessee playing in Atlanta. Think about the last time you saw an Alabama-Tennessee SEC Championship Game. Anything? No? Me neither.

Since the SEC Championship Game's inception in 1992, the Crimson Tide have taken the trip to the Georgia Dome seven times, while the Volunteers have made five appearances. Yet not once have they faced off.

So, there could be something to this. But I won't go so far as to say the Tigers and Volunteers should form some sort of secret alliance to try to bring the Empire to its knees.

After all, Gene Chizik has put together a superb staff. That staff has assembled a consensus top five recruiting class in their first full year together on the Plains.

They have also made it clear that the battle for in-state recruits will no longer be conceded as it seemed to be just one year ago, something I think both Auburn and Alabama fans should embrace.

Isn't that a part of what makes this the greatest rivalry in sports? If you can't go in and get your own homegrown talent to begin with, where does the argument actually begin? I say it begins right then and there.

Let's just say, after my discussion/history lesson earlier today, I hope the best for the Volunteer Nation. I really, really do.

Just don't grab any of Auburn's coaches, and don't hire another coach that is barely qualified to coach high school while loving to talk the talk much more than he walks the walk.