Letdowns in Key Games Doomed Tommy Tuberville

I am sure that some people who read the headline on this are ready to hear me blast away at the now former Auburn football coach. That is not what I am going to do by any means. But I do think that the time was now for Auburn and Tuberville to part ways. 

Tommy Tuberville had a great run as the head football coach on the plains as his 85-40 record in 10 seasons would indicate. He was a class act, ran a clean program, and molded the Auburn Tigers into perennial contenders in a conference that seems to get more competitive by the season.

He had a 7-3 record against arch rival Alabama. Finished second n the BCS in 2004 following a 13-0 season. The Tigers had many memorable wins during the Tuberville era, as the coach held a 5-2 record against top-five opponents the most notable of those victories coming in 2001 when the Tigers defeated Steve Spurrier and the No. 1 ranked Gators in a game that I was lucky enough to attend.

The legacy that Tubby will leave at Auburn is no doubt a great one. One could argue that his 10 years at Auburn were quite possibly the best 10 year run in Auburn Football history. But it seems as though it was what Tuberville had done (or hadn't done) in recent years that began to sour fans and more importantly boosters. 

Everyone knows the Tuberville stats of success as there are quite a few. But following a disastrous 5-7 season, one that saw Auburn begin the year ranked in the top 15. This year's debacle was only the icing on the cake and the writing was all but on the wall that Auburn needed to make a change.

Here are several key games in recent years that I believe sealed Tubb's fate as the Tigers coach:

Lets go back to 2006. The 5-0 No. 3 ranked Tigers had gotten off to a hot start and were a week away from hosting top 10 Florida when the unranked Arkansas Razorbacks came to town.

The relatively unknown Houston Nutt ball club pounded Auburn to the tune of 27-10. The Auburn defense was gashed on the ground giving up 279 rushing yards. Arkansas was starting a true freshman quarterback (Mitch Mustain, who only attempted 10 passes in the game) and one had to wonder how the Auburn coaching staff would be so under-prepared for the Razorbacks' game plan.

This embarrassing loss at home killed Auburn fans who had national championship aspirations. Needless to say Tuberville went on the next week to beat a top-five Florida team but this Arkansas loss was not easily forgotten.  

Fast-forward to later in the 2006 season. It's mid November and the Tigers had won every game since the flop against Arkansas. Auburn, sitting at 9-1 ranked No. 5 and alive and well in the BCS race, welcomed unranked rival Georgia to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

An 11:30 AM start in the rain proved to be another classic Tuberville letdown as the Bulldogs went back to Athens 37-15 winners. Again the Tigers showed up unready to play as a true freshman Matthew Stafford went 14-20 for 219 yards and a TD. Georgia also had the ground game going, rushing for 227 yards in the game. This while Tubb's squad could only muster 171 yards of total offense as Brandon Cox threw four INTs.

Ask any Auburn person and they don't like to lose to Georgia but this loss stung more than usual. 

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