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Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin was fired after only six games (and one bowl game) under his belt, and according to reports, tight ends coach Steve Ensminger will take over the play-calling duties for the rest of the '08 season...

Is Tommy Tuberville Starting the Insanity Defense a Bit Early?

by Lisa Horne (Senior Writer)

50

1807 reads

Opinion

October 10, 2008


Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin was fired after only six games (and one bowl game) under his belt, and according to reports, tight ends coach Steve Ensminger will take over the play-calling duties for the rest of the '08 season.

Look, every college football fan knows Auburn's offense has been sorely lacking this year, but firing a guy after only six games? What is Tuberville thinking?

Is he losing all of his marbles because that "other coach" has stamped a big mark in Alabama after only one year? Is it time for him to start making rash decisions and then plead insanity?

Franklin's spread system is run all over the country in high school football programs and has been very successful—the problem is that Auburn doesn't have the skill players yet to make it work.

Let's call this what this really is—a huge conflict in personalities and lack of trust. It couldn't be more painfully obvious.

The fact that there is a video of Franklin cleaning out his office and loading up his car, and the school not taking steps to allow Franklin to leave with dignity is a black eye on the athletic department.

That they allowed this disgrace to be filmed shows a clear disregard for Tony Franklin. Tuberville ought to be ashamed.

Franklin came from a very successful Troy program last year: in his tenure at Troy he increased points per game from 15.9 in '05 to 34 in '07. It took two years, but the system worked, with the Trojans having the 16th nationally ranked offense in 2007.

Franklin is also known for his expertise in coaching quarterbacks: Jared Lorenzen, Tim Couch and Dusty Bonner were all Franklin proteges that each led the SEC in passing, and Couch was the NFL's first pick in '99.

Franklin was hired as Auburn's OC in December 2007—the fifth in ten years—and after only eight days, changed Auburn's system and implemented the spread in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where Auburn had its best offensive output of the season, thus creating high hopes for Auburn to win the conference this year.

Uh, maybe next year. 

Tuberville, after a 2-2 SEC conference record, 4-2 overall, decided these results weren't good enough. And just now what does he expect to happen to his team? Improvement? More offense?

While Auburn has certainly lacked moving the chains (ranked No. 103 in total offense), part of that is due to unproductive play from one of their quarterbacks, Chris Todd. He has five TDs, but five interceptions, has a 56% pass completion and ranked No. 85 nationally.

Chris Todd knows Tony Franklin well—Franklin was the offensive consultant at Todd's high school. Todd ran the spread beautifully because the players on the team were all spread offense players.

Todd originally signed with Texas Tech, but after two years with Tech including a red shirt freshman year, Todd transferred to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Todd eventually was recruited by Franklin and ready to sign with Troy—where Franklin was coaching—but Franklin left for Auburn, and Todd finally followed him there.

Author Poll

Was Franklin's termination justifiable?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Not sure
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Author Poll Results

Was Franklin's termination justifiable?

  • Yes

    22.0%

  • No

    69.3%

  • Not sure

    8.7%
  • Total votes: 127
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50 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Ray Bogusz 8 months ago

    100% right. Auburn has been comatose on offense for a while now and the only consistent face is Tuberville. The only person he needs to look at is himself.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Ray-

      When you're the big cheese, the stone doesn't roll uphill. He's been there awhile, so I don't think he's going anywhere, although there have been rumors about other schools interested in him in the past: Texas A&M, Florida.

      I just think it's ridiculous to fire someone mid-season, but love his offense. I don't get that. Auburn was obviously not running the Franklin spread the first two games of the year.

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  2. Tiger Histalmos 8 months ago

    The thing is Lisa is that reports have been coming in about Franklin and the other offensive coaches butting heads. Those offensive assistants have been with Tuberville since he came over from Ole Miss. Franklin was singled out, which I think is a real shame he did not get an opportunity to show his stuff.

    Either way, as I put it as well, this is a black eye for Auburn football and the Auburn Athletic Department.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Tiger-

      My heart goes out to you. It really does. This is such a shame because there have been too many OCs in ten years.

      O that link in the article, Tubs says he hasn't had any issues with Franklin, and in August, said Tony had really boosted the players' confidence.

      I think his tongue is forked.

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    • Tiger Histalmos 8 months ago

      One can also say Lisa that this was something completely different from what Tuberville and company have done in the past. The spread wasn't producing, they got scared, and possibly could be going back to what they know, which is power running and play-action passing.

      Steve Ensminger will now be calling plays. He and OL coach Hugh Nall did a tag team of offensive coordinator duties in 2003. Auburn went 8-5 that season. A lot of fans are worried about Ensminger will do this time around.

      And one last point, this weekend we play Arkansas. Arkansas ranks nearly dead last in scoring defense. If Auburn comes out and scores points this weekend, it will be a false indicator of how the program will do the second half of the season.

      Either way you look at it, the season is muddled with no clear answer. Just how we started the season.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Tony-

      I read ya, but Auburn was running the Franklin system to begin with. If you look at those games, it's not Franklin's spread. They jerry-rigged it to make it kind of limp a long. They don't have the right players for his system yet.

      That's my biggest issue. Hire a guy with a proven successful system, but have him run it w/o the right players. When the team's offense sputters, fire the guy whose offense you love. Sigh.

      As far as Arky, yeah, they aren't good this year, they are in total rebuilding mode after losing DMac, Jones, and Mallett sitting out his transfer year. A win proves nothing...I totally agree with you.

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  3. Lou Vozza 8 months ago

    It sure looks like some Boosters put a gun to Tub's head on this. You're right, it's all about Saban. These guys wanted some blood and wanted it now. They were too cowardly to fire Tubs, so they made him shoot Franklin.

    Just guessing. I listen every week to Tub's radio show. This just doesn't sound like his work.

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    • Tiger Histalmos 8 months ago

      Oh, and lets hope Bobby Lowder and company didn't have anything to do with this. I will be absoluetly furious if we find out the Board did have something to do with Franklin's firing.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Lou-

      I hope you are wrong about the boosters being involved. It does seem a little obvious that with Saban's success, the gun is at Tubs' head.

      "How come Saban is getting it done in a year, and you haven't?" (Yes, he should have been in title game in 2004, but he didn't get there due to some BCS BS and now is suffering as a result) I can picture boosters saying that.

      But Tubs forced to fire him? No. Way. If Tubs felt pressure b/c of Saban, he fired Franklin on his own volition.

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  4. Jeff Contizano 8 months ago

    I don't get the entire "We fired him but we're going to run the spread". If the word around town is true, and the other coordinators/staff don't want to run the spread, then why say that? I'm totally confused and I'm not even an Auburn fan. So this has to suck for them, and I feel for Franklin as well.

    Watch him head somewhere else and make it successful.. Just wait.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      I totally agree....his spread system is very effective (see Troy for proof) and Tubs didn't give him enough time.

      The quote I provided in my comment was my own...Tubs didn't say that...I simply paraphrased what his quotes said. He likes the spread, but he did indeed fire the guy responsible for running it.

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  5. Jeff Contizano 8 months ago

    I've been to one of his seminars and the playbook isn't something that's super complex and hard to master either. I have a feeling that the inability for the coaching staff to truly mesh and use the playbook has caused the problems. If we ask an Auburn fan what they've seen, I'm sure they've said it hasn't been all spread, or all Al Borges style of football.

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  6. Jim Sheridan 8 months ago

    Your right on Lisa, I have the mis fortune of having to listen to pro U of Michigan sports radio, and even those slappies aren't calling for Rich Rods head. Even they understand that it takes time to implement your own recruits and for players to figure out a new system. Sometimes a team under a new coach and a new system will find little victories even in defeat, is the timing on the routes getting better, are the o line hitting their assignments better, ect ect. Anyway, awesome piece Lisa 5 star POTD!!!!!

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Thanks Jim! I know Auburn fans are smart, and they know this was a big mistake. New OC, new offense...come on...it can't happen over night. Takes a couple of years.

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  7. Brad James 8 months ago

    The crux of the matter is that nothing stings more than your rival excelling, particularly when you're having a hard time yourself. The Crimson Tide, despite their chronic mediocrity over the past 20 years (with the exception of 1993's Sugar Bowl win over Miami) are now national darlings once again. Thus, I do agree that Riverboat gambler Tommy had no choice but to can Franklin. With that said, it sure is interesting that on a recent visit to Auburn's athletic Web site, I was greeted by star players from the mens' and womens' basketball teams. Perhaps the Tigers are ready to move on to what they hope is a better season on the hardwood. I know that I don't possess the pedigree or acumen to give Tommy Tuberville football advice to any extent, but I'm fairly convinced that you can't go wrong if you get the ball in Robert Dunn's hands.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Brad-

      Basketball players greeting you on the website? Now that's scary!

      Soooo, you think he had to can Franklin? Then I assume Michigan should can Rich Rod, yes?

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  8. Isaac Luber 8 months ago

    I think Tuberville has to check into a mental hospital...he's really lost it. Or maybe he has that condition where you have like more than one being or personality inside you.

    One of them is optimistic and says that they are getting better and will keep Franklin, and the other says that we are not good enough and even though we have improved we have not improved and therefore I will fire him.

    Then, his third personality runs around the street naked screaming "Frogs in a Toaster", and then he'll finally be fired or put into that mental hospital. (Don't ask about Frogs in a Toaster, it was just a random crazy thing to say to show that Tuberville is crazy, it has no meaning).

    Great article, and I feel bad for Franklin. He's a great guy and a great coach. Its such a shame he was fired by an insane coach.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Isaac-

      I believe that is called tri-polar.

      Thanks, I feel bad for him too, especially at the way it was handled at the end.

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  9. Chad Dinger 8 months ago

    This is a great idea. A revolving door at OC will do wonders for the team and get the cupboard full of 5 star recruits. I think Tubbytown should fire the intern OC in the next 2 weeks and then fire the 2nd intern OC the week before Auburn's bowl game.

    I spent five years with a company that ran through 6 different directors of the dept that I worked in. By the time the 5th guy got there we had simply stopped listening to what the director had to say. After all there is no reason to work hard to adapt to a new system when the guy is going to be gone before the system is implemented. We just did what we wanted to do and gave the director lip service in meetings. 8 months later he was gone and #6 was in.

    This will/is happening with Auburn's offense. The players are going to smile and nod their heads during the team meetings and then just walk through the games. After all, if they lose the OC gets shown the door, so what's it matter to them?

    That 6-0 streak against the Tide may well be about to turn into an 0-6 streak.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Chad-

      Sigh....yeah, you got what I was getting at. This will kill recruiting...if you are a 5 star recruit in SEC country who played in a spread for two years in high school, who ya gonna play for, Auburn or Florida?

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  10. Wade Peery 8 months ago

    Brilliant article Lisa. I agree 100%. I loved it and it is my POTD. Tuberville needs to allow more time for a team to adjust to a new offensive system. I know the intensity of the heat and pressure in the SEC is much higher there than alot of places, but the fact is offensive systems all need the right personnel to run them. The right tools need to be in the shed. Chris Todd is a solid quarterback, but I'm a big Auburn fan and it pains me to watch him put the football in the air. His fade pass is his best pass, probably his only pass, because his ball hangs in the air entirely too long. I think Auburn should ease their way into the spread and not try and run it all at once. That's a problem that alot of coaches make--Urban Meyer trying to run the option with Chris Leak was absolutely hilarious. Anyways sorry for the rant, but great article Lisa I loved it.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Thanks Wade! Apparently, Liger (commenting below) is perfectly happy with Tub's performance. See comments below. What say you?

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  11. Jim Bob Kern 8 months ago

    Good read Lisa. All these problems are certainly affecting recruiting and that's hurting the future of Auburn football. Franklin has been a winner everywhere he has been. ( probably should have never left Troy!) Troy takes on a tough schedule with many heavy hitters every year and have stood right up to them. I just don't think Franklin was given a real chance to shine. Good article!

    PS.. How much $$ is Auburn still paying now for a 2nd OC tossed to the way side?

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    • Liger 8 months ago

      PS...Because we're not bringing a new OC in till next year, AU is not paying any more than if we had fired Franklin at the end of the year....

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Wow Jim...I don't know what his salary was...but it has to be pretty high...plus aren't they still paying Borges' contract off?

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  12. Liger 8 months ago

    Great article...and I almost bought it...till I remembered that Tubs has won 50 games in the past five years in the SEC, won 5 of his last 6 bowl games, and has more than 40 players currently in the NFL, many of whom were 2- and 3-star players.

    Don't mean to be rude, but I'm a bottom-line kinda dude and I'm just not sure what more you can expect at Auburn. We don't have the history of SC or Notre Dame, we don't have the resources of Bama, Michigan, or TX, and we don't have a state monopoly on recruits like LSU and Ohio State. What Tubs has accomplished at a school like AU is nothing short of amazing. And unlike some of his predesessors, he's done it without cheating. If Tubs is crazy, he's crazy like a fox.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      What does that have to do with firing an OC though?

      Franklin helped Tubs win the CFA bowl, and the 4 games after that. AU's O has always been smash ball, he switches to the spread and hires the guru of that offense, then fires him after 6 games?

      As far as a monopoly on recruits...I'm fairly sure that most of those Alabama boys who didn't want to leave home were leaning towards AU before 'Bama...now that Nick's in town, the proverbial tide has turned.

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    • Chris Mizerany 8 months ago

      Actually, not to take anything away from 'Bama's recruiting class, but most of Alabama's recruits were Alabama fans growing up. Julio, BJ Scott, Tyler Love, Jerrell Harris, etc...

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    • Cameon Shiflett 8 months ago

      Not to mention what about these recruits we are getting from places like Michigan (Mark Ingram) and other new ones we are getting. Bottom line is that these players are seeing Alabama Football as a power house and a team they want to be a part of.

      Alabama is a team with dignity, class, and (new since Saban got there) discipline. These are all things Auburn right now does not have right now. Players are going to take their talents where they would like.

      And Chris...excuse me but I think it means a lot that those players (Julio Jones, BJ Scott, Tyler Love, and the others) were Alabama fans before and after all of the losses and trials that Alabama has been through and that they still wanted to play for the Tide.

      Chris Todd, however, can't stay on a team long enough to learn what color his own team's jerseys are.

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  13. Brad James 8 months ago

    Lisa,

    What I meant was that the pressure the boosters have placed upon him left him no alternative, based on the success the Tide are experiencing. Personally, I think Franklin had no business being fired. Sorry I neglected to mention that in my first post. The boosters, a bunch of old farts with too much money on their hands and not enough common sense, probably intervened. Rich Rod deserves more time at Ann Arbor, although it was cool seeing Utah hand him a loss in his first game in maize and blue.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Brad-

      All boosters are the same. I don't think the boosters caused this to happen. Not 24 hours after Tuberville went on record to say he likes Franklin, likes his offense etc...it looks like something happened in a meeting or something that caused a rash decision to be made.

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  14. Tony Stracener 8 months ago

    This article could not be more accurate. Franklin was the scapegoat and Tubberville the supposed
    guru that has just fixed Auburns problem. Pffft !!!! I should as a fan of the Tide take joy in anything
    that slaps the "BARN" around BUT what happened to Franklin was as low class as it could possibly be.
    To allow a coach to be humiliated on video as Franklin was shows the total lack of class that Auburn
    and Tubberville have. 6 games.... 6 games.... What a show of patience Barner Nation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Tubberville or should I say "Tupperware" will get his because truly what goes around comes around !!

    Tony

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  15. D G 8 months ago

    Great article Lisa. I think you are right on about Franklin. I also agree with your comments on Rich Rod at Michigan.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Thanks D! And yes, Michigan fans knew that this season would be a wash. They will be patient. For 2 years...then then the poop hits the fan if it doesn't turn around. I'm not so sure RR is the right guy for Michigan.

      Carr was a class act while HC there. But it was time for him to retire....coaching escaped him. Glad to see Michigan treat him with such respect and let him go out the way he wanted to. It's a mark of a classy Admin.

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  1. CrimsonTusks.com 8 months ago

    "The fact that there is a video of Franklin cleaning out his office and loading up his car, and the school not taking steps to allow Franklin to leave with dignity is a black eye on the athletic department.

    That they allowed this disgrace to be filmed shows a clear disregard for Tony Franklin. Tuberville ought to be ashamed."

    In Auburn's defense (ducking for shelter from inevitable lightening strikes) it was Franklin's decision to leave via the front door of the complex. He very easily could have left in the private parking lot provided for the coaching staff.

    It certainly doesn't make the video appealing when people consider Auburn's Athletic Dept., but I suspect that was TF's intent.

    I do take exception to the repeated phrase "Auburn didn't have the talent in place to run the spread." A lot mention Todd's lack of arm strength.

    IF that was indeed the case, how do people explain how OU made the same move at the beginning of this decade?

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      RTR-

      Appreciate the comments.

      I disagree about the video. Franklin did not want to talk to the press, he said "no comment" in the video. Why was the press there? To cover Tub's presser?

      The classiest way to handle it would have been to fire him at least 4-5 hours before the presser, so that he could clear his stuff out before the press got there for the presser. They should have been pro-active. If Franklin wanted to give the press a video that would embarrass the AD, they should have tried to prevent that from happening as well by being more pro-active. The AD blew it.

      As far as the right talent to make the spread work, the proof is in the offensive output. It's painfully obvious that Franklin's system is not being implemented. They are NOT running the spread. They are ocassionally spreading them out, but it's a mush of offensive schemes.

      Auburn has run smash-mouth football for a long time, and their O-line is built for power-running. Big, beefy trees who can block their assignment and create holes. They are not the agile, fast O-linemen who are needed to cover huge gaps in the line. Michigan is facing that same problem. They don't have the O-line to implement the spread. They will...it takes time to get those players.

      I don't understand your last sentence regarding OU. Could you be more specific? Thanks!

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  2. Joe Burgett 8 months ago

    Persoanally as an SEC fan I'm glad a team is loooking bad like Auburn its one down, but as a Alabama fan I couldn't be happier, seeing this Franklin firing was great to us, cause it brings the team down a little, and really he should have been let go, I mean how can you help a team that sucks on offfense in the first place? If anyone should go it should tbe the recruits for ghets such terrible guys together, look at Bama, how many freshman do they have, Starting, and what they are like 100-200 miles away from Auburn.

    How come they are better? ITs because of good recruiting, obvioulsly, it waas stupid to see him go, and that has been Auburn;s MO for years now, if they don't win they get frustrated and fire people, Bama has done the same in some ways, but at least they survived the Shula era. If this keeps up there might be another person let go, Tuberville himself.

    In alabama its win big or just win, you can't lose, its harder here to coach than anywhere in the US just about, trust me

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      Joe-

      You think the OC should have been fired after six regular season games? I understand your feelings as a Tide fan, but honestly, Bama was a .500 team last year (regular season) and their passing was 55%. That's not good. Why wasn't Saban fired? From how I am reading your comments, then logic didctates Saban should have been fired after losing to Fla. State, Miss. St. and ULM.

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    • Lisa Horne 8 months ago

      *dictates

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    • Joe Burgett 8 months ago

      Ya Lisa, but Saban is being payed a big amount for what he is doing, Bama keeps a coach around for 2 to 3 years max, if no improvement, then he is let go, Mike Shula was only 5 seasons, others left or were fired after they amount of seasons I told you, Saban only had been around one season with the Tide and they showed promise at the bieginning of the year, and then they sucked at the end, look at this year alone, that is why they kept him around.

      I don't think the OC should have been fired as I said, I think the recruiting department did for giving him such crapy guys to work with, it was unfair, but like I said as a Bama fan, I love it because it sort of divides the team, there are alot of guys who came to Auburn just to work under this guy, now with him gone they will not play as hard.

      I do understand what you ment though, its Alabama football love it or hate it. Auburn just learned a lesson about that too.

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  3. Lisa Horne 8 months ago

    Holy Smokes...the RRR is a heckuva game. I wonder how much the refs got paid off by Texas? Three bad calls- two personal fouls and an INT that wasn't held up. I am stunned.

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    • James 8 months ago

      Not certain what game you were watching but your allegiance is apparent. Both personal fouls were on a quarterback pulling up out of bounds, beyond the 3 yard mark and in both instances the defender pulled up his hands admitting guilt. Rivalry or not, they were cheap shots aimed at the one player OU could not stop and knew would end up beating them. Next, in terms of the interception, even cry-baby Stoops admitted it wasn't an interception. Maybe someone should check OU's record in the post season - with the exception of one national title against Florida State with a 3rd string quarterback and players Stoops inherited, the team has been embarrassed on the national stage. LSU, USC, Boise State, West Virginia (even without a coach).

      Might want to have more facts and less emotion!

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  4. Lisa Horne 8 months ago

    And OU looks like they had in their pockets too....unreal the bad officiating....too bad it kind wrecked an outstanding game.

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  5. Joel Harris 8 months ago

    After that showing today against Arkansas, TT might want to get his bags packed reality show style. If they manage a losing SEC record and if they lose the Iron Bowl the riverboat gambler's boat may be leaving the harbor sooner rather than later.

    BTW lisa, what are your guesses on the rankings coming up?

    I'm thinking UA, UT, PSU top 3 and boy does that make me feel good.

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  6. Roberto Alvarez-Galloso 8 months ago

    I think Tuberville has gone beyond insane.

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  7. Franklin Crittenden 8 months ago

    Lisa, great article! You are dead on target.

    One thing Tuberville really didn't feel he had time to wait. You see there is a panic going on at Auburn, and you know why.

    You'll be getting a flock of readers soon, because I am putting you on the must read list in Alabama!

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  8. mpesky 8 months ago

    Tommy Tuberville and all the staff can see the writing on the wall. Nick Saban is at Bama and that means Auburn's days of rulling the State of Alabama are about over. I make this statement not because of my love for the Tide but only because it is true. If Nick Saban ( and that's a big if) stays at Bama he will re-build Alabama to its glory days. Saban will be placed in a very high place right next to the Bear, and Auburn will take its traditional seat right behind Bama. Roy Orbison's old song "Its Over" will be played at all Auburn games.

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  9. GreekWarEagle 8 months ago

    Will Muschamp to be AU new head coach is tommy loses to Bama...

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  10. Zach Lovelady 8 months ago

    My My My..... HMMM Where to begin wow how the tables have turned. I hope all you Aubies have truly enjoyed 6 years of beating a subpar, probation laden Alabama Team well those days are gone. And for just a moment it does seem that the prodical son while he may not be on his rightful throne yet he has he has re-entered that gates of the kingdom. Now I am not going to begin to predict National Championships or even SEC Titles but it is safe to say that the Saban led program is once again on the rise and already receiving National Glamour and fastly approaching the ranks of being once again a feared team throughout the land

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