Bleacher Report - Articles by Ben Culpepper

Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, Auburn Can Redeem Themselves With One Hire

Ben Culpepper — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:22:08 -0500

The Auburn University Athletics Department released the resignation letter supposedly written by former head coach Tommy Tuberville. In the letter, Tuberville wrote:

"This letter will confirm our recent conversations about my status as Head Football Coach. After long consideration, I have decided to resign. I understand that, notwithstanding my resignation, the University will make a total payment of $5,083,334 as outlined in Section 21 of my contract."

I assume Jay Jacobs and his public relation crew released this letter in response to criticism and allegations that Tommy Tuberville's resignation was far from voluntary. These allegations arise from the simple fact that Auburn did not have to pay a dime to Coach Tuberville if he resigned.

In his press conference detailing the resignation of Tuberville, Jacobs explained that he and Auburn President Jay Gogue felt "it was the right thing to do (pay Tommy his buyout)." He went on to say that Tommy was a "member of the Auburn Family" and the embattled coach would continue to assist the university in some capacity.

Who are these guys trying to fool? Who gives away five million dollars to an outgoing employee in the midst of a recession because that employee was a nice guy?

Isn't this the same contract that Jacobs and Co. were reluctant to approve because of the massive six million dollar buyout?

How does one go from fighting tooth and nail to prevent such a buyout in a contract to honoring that buyout out of the goodness of one's heart?

The media has been gagging over the rancid stench (a.k.a. Tuberville resignation story) radiating from the Plains from day one. If you break down this story on an elementary school level, you may understand the nausea.

Here are the choices the powers-that-be in Auburn had regarding the resignation of Tommy Tuberville (this is assuming that all statements released from Lee County are true):

Ignore the legal contract and pay Tuberville 5.1 million dollars that he is not entitled to simply because he is one helluva guy; or

Follow the terms of the contract, which states that Auburn is under no obligation to pay Tommy's buyout if he resigns, and keep the five million dollars to use for the hiring of a new coach.

This is an easy decision right? Wrong. It seems the Auburn Family is in the business of investing large sums of money into severed relationship funds that will have no beneficial return whatsoever to the future of the Athletic program.

Jay Jacob's Postseason Checklist:

1. Fire Tuberville—Check, YES!

2. 2a. Convince everyone that Tuberville resigned—work in progress

2b. Put gag order on Olivia Tuberville—calling Lowder

3. 3a. Hire Proven Head Coach Spurrier, Petrino, B. Davis, Johnson—damn

3b. Hire Hot Up-and-Comer Muschamp, Gill, Hoke, Fisher, Dooley—damn

3c. Hire someone—getting close

4. Pay too much for new head coach that doesn't satisfy anyone in the Family—likely

5. Look for new job—UAB maybe?

In spite of Auburn's joke of a dismissal of the tenured Tommy Tuberville, Auburn has a possibility to make things peachy again on the plains.

How?

Hire Nick Saban.

It's Do or Die for Tommy Tuberville and Auburn's 'Spread Eagle' Offense

Ben Culpepper — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:51:12 -0400

Chris Todd is the starter for now, but for how long?. In Auburn's SEC road opener against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Auburn starting quarterback will have more than Derek Pegues to worry about.

The Auburn coaching staff has put themselves in a precarious situation, the kind that makes or breaks coaching careers in this "win or die trying" of a league they call the Southeastern Conference.

Since the beginning of the summer, when new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin brought in his prodigy child, Chris Todd, to run his offense, there has been surprisingly
little controversy. It seems now that it was only the calm before the storm. (It is hurricane season, I can get away with cheesy analogies like that, okay?)

Tuberville's and Franklin's (not sure whose job it was to make a decision) decision to not make a decision on the quarterback early in fall camp might come back to bite them in the arse.

It is one thing to wait to declare a starter the week of your SEC opener against Croom's Bulldogs with the Citadel peeking around the corner, frightened of what they see. It is quite another to do so with the Hat's (Les Miles) LSU Bengal Tigers looming around the bend waiting to pounce.

Luckily for Todd, he seemed to get in a rhythm against a pesky Southern Miss team last week and in a half-hearted kind of way claimed the reins of the Auburn offense. This rhythm, however, was thrown for a loop by the newly formed dynamic duo that is Tuberville and Franklin.

The random decision to put Kodi Burns in for Todd in the second half of the Southern Miss game negated any and all of Todd's rhythm, which he so desperately worked to achieve.

Imagine yourself in college spending an entire night listening (pretending to listen) to a smoking hot freshman girl stammering on about her trip to Bed Bath and Beyond with her sorority sisters, assuming there is a reward for your undivided attention.

Yet, when you bring her back to your apartment she throws herself at your roommate who has been sitting on the couch all night, taking bong tokes and watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

here is only three words to describe this and they are: What the Faq? That has to be how Todd felt when he was replaced for that one crucial series.

Tonight, it is absolutely imperative that Auburn gets their offense to click in all areas and the person who will be most responsible for that is Chris Todd. Tuberville has named Todd the starting quarterback, but Kodi Burns will play a role in the Auburn offense.

The Tigers coaching staff has had the entire fall camp and two weeks of non-conference proverbial practice games to get this 'Spread Eagle' offense going. With the SEC Western Division Championship game (Bama, get back to me in November before you interject here) one week away, Auburn absolutely cannot afford to still have questions on offense after the Mississippi State game.

All questions about this team need to be answered, not just addressed, tonight. Another lackluster performance by the offense will generate bigger and harder questions that may prove to be too tough to answer for Tuberville and his staff.

In Tuberville's tenure at Auburn, I don't think he has ever put himself in a more vulnerable position then the one he has put himself in now. You think Tuberville has any regrets about Franklin right now?

He would be a liar if he said he didn't have one ounce of regret in the hiring of Franklin, not because he doesn't have faith in Tony's coaching ability and system but regrets putting his ass on the line for this guy. It was a gutsy and controversial move by Tommy, and it is sink or swim with Franklin and this offense.

With Borges and company as offensive coordinators, Tubby never felt the responsibility like he feels now with Franklin at the helm.

It is as if Tubbs is Franklin's daddy and Tony just turned two. Franklin is opening up every cabinet, drawer, box and bottle he can find in Tuberville's house known as the Auburn Football program.

It has taken Tubbs a while to baby proof his program so that Franklin doesn't destroy everything that Tommy has worked so hard to build. One thing is for certain when it comes to Tuberville and taking responsibility for poor performances; he doesn't.

If Franklin doesn't learn the rules of the house quickly, it won't be long before Tuberville puts him up for adoption with a tag around his neck that reads "Bad Baby."

The games only get harder from here on out for Auburn, with LSU and Tennessee making house calls the next two weeks. So the task at hand tonight is clear for Tuberville and his Tigers; get the offense on track now or never.

Alabama, Auburn In a New Era of Debate

Ben Culpepper — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:05:48 -0400

After reading a recent article about Alabama football and ignorant fans, I was motivated to write this article. The article I read was about ignorant Alabama fans and their constant reminders to the world of 12 national championships. Lately, even during the streak of six straight wins over arch-rival Alabama, Auburn fans have taken on the role of reminding people of national championships at Alabama.

Since the arrival of Nick Saban, Auburn fans have been quick to resort to the past for rebuttals to Alabama fans and their newfound excitement over their program. Typical responses to the Auburn fan's bragging of the recent success over 'Bama are the following:

"At least we got Nick Saban!"

"Saban raked in the No. 1 recruiting class and is controlling the entire state!"

"We have Julio Jones and Terrence Cody."

"While Tuberville is out duck hunting, Saban is recruiting five-star players. Just wait and see."

You should be able to pick up a theme in the responses from 'Bama fans.

Alabama fans, at least for now, are starting to talk about the present and future, not the past. Auburn fans' complaints about ignorant Alabama fans reminiscing about the "Bear" and 12 national championships are becoming as old as the last title 'Bama won in the '90s.

I feel as if Auburn fans have instead become fearful and irritable about what Nick Saban might, a big might, be able to do at the University of Alabama. Do not tell this to an Auburn fan, though, because they are in denial on the subject of the future at Alabama.

Auburn fans have switched roles with the 'Bama fans, and now they are the ones bringing up 'Bama's championships and the their past. Any Tide fan under the age of 40 is more likely talking about coach Nick Saban and the future of the program rather than the ancient championships won in the past. Understandably, Auburn fans had to get used to hearing about the past and all of the titles pre-Saban because, sadly, that's all 'Bama had.

Saban has brought a presence and message to a fan base that was starving for leadership. Never before have I seen a more outspoken, righteous group of rabid fans totally take a backseat to a head coach and buy into every word he spits out.

I am positive Auburn fans have heard more about the "process" that Saban has been preaching non-stop, rather than 12 national titles.

While both are annoying to Auburn fans, one can only be rendered speechless with all of the present-futuristic dialogue coming from the 'Bama fans. For this reason, it is my opinion that Auburn fans have been the source to conversations about the past championships recently. That sounds completely preposterous, but it is a very unusual situation.

Tigers fans are in a complete and utter state of confusion. I can only imagine the thoughts in the back of an Auburn fan's head when he hears about the future of the Alabama program instead of the typical one-sided conversation of Bear Bryant and 12 National Championships.

Surprisingly to some, 'Bama fans are starting to use future and Alabama football in the same sentences. It is at this time when Auburn fans bring up titles to snap the hypnotized 'Bama fan out of his abnormal state. In return, the Tigers fan gets the normal fanatical talk of the past, but now they are starting to find comfort in talking about the past.

The thought of talking about Bama's future with Saban at the helm is disturbing and not a very nice thought to the Auburn fans. I think for the Tigers fans, it is comforting to hear about the past because they have become accustomed to this for so long.

Embrace these new breed of Tide fans, Auburn, or at least be creative in attempts to insult the 'Bama Nation other than criticize it for habits in the past. This is like criticizing a crack head for his drug use in the past when he is fresh out of rehab and trying his best to forget how good that crack made him feel.

The 12 national championships are like crack for 'Bama fans and they have just been released from the Nick Saban Clinic for High Expectations.

Tigers fans will not allow 'Bama to live in the present/future because the future seems too bright for the Tide and too dim for the Tigers.

For 'Bama fans, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you talk about the past, you are a typical, ignorant 'Bammer. If you talk about the future and Saban, you are a delusional, lunatic fringe fan.

So my suggestion to you is choose the latter to discuss. Everyone knows about your past already. So for the sake of interesting and relevant conversation, speak of the current state of the program and realistic possibilities that may come. That is if you have to speak at all.

So for Auburn fans, I suggest this: Talk about your program and your program only. No offense, but when you do this, 'Bama fans will not be reminded of any championships and they will continue to stammer on about Saban and his recruits.

I cannot wait for the Iron Bowl!

Auburn Fans Quick to Critique Tony Franklin's Spread Offense

Ben Culpepper — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:27:35 -0400

Hit the brakes, Auburn critics.

It is one game. It is 60 minutes of football. You are still undefeated.

It has been amazing to read and listen to the often self-critical Auburn fans moan and groan about the performance from the Auburn offense last Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe.

Have you forgotten the entire reason to play the game of football? Kansas City Chiefs coach Herman Edwards certainly had not when he popped off at the media while with the New York Jets:

"YOU PLAY..TO WIN..THE GAME! YOU PLAY...TO WIN THE GAME!"

Auburn did just that by shutting out an inferior opponent, at home, 34-0. Amazingly, listening to the reactions from Auburn fans, you would have thought Auburn lost at home to La.-Monroe (ask Alabama how that feels).

The offense was underwhelming and the defense once again set the tone of the game, but you still have 11 more games to play.

"Tuberville didn't know what he was getting into when he hired Tony Franklin," proclaimed a Paul Finebaum caller (Finebaum is a very successful, well respected sports talk radio host in Birmingham, AL).

Finebaum, being the pot-stirring genius that he is, even hinted of some tension between Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, that Auburn and Alabama fans absorbed rather easily.

Alabama fans giggled like schoolgirls at the thought of tension on the Plains, while the Auburn faithful toiled in self-pity. Auburn, please, you know better.

Wait until you have settled on one quarterback and are playing the meat of your schedule before you get alarmed about Tony Franklin. Wait until Coach Franklin makes a game-changing call that costs you a ballgame against an SEC foe.

We all have seen Auburn struggle early on in the season before, only to go 10-4 and holding up another digit on your own personal Iron Bowl victory calculators.

Give Coach Franklin some time and an established quarterback, and I am almost positive you'll will be able to rest your heads at night knowing all is well on the Plains.