Tony Franklin's Firing Not Good For Auburn Football

Twenty-four hours removed from the chaos that covered the Plains and we now are getting a clearer picture of what was really going on behind the scenes. Some fans are glad about this move, others are wondering, "Why so soon?" Some fans are rejoicing, others are scratching their heads.

One thing that is for certain: This does not look good for Auburn's program.

Now let me set the record straight. I am neither a Tony Franklin fan, nor am I a fan of the spread offense. I am old fashioned when it comes to football. I like to see the running game set up the passing game. That is just my preference, but what happened in Auburn yesterday does not look good for the program on all accounts.

From a program standpoint, this continues the discontinuity at offensive coordinator that has been seen for more than a decade. In the short term, this maybe was the right thing to do. Reports have been coming in that Franklin and other offensive assistants (running back coach Eddie Gran, wide receiver coach Greg Knox, offensive line coach Hugh Nall, and now play caller and quarterback coach Steve Ensminger) were butting heads about philosophy and the direction of the offense. The last thing a head coach needs is infighting between his assistant coaches.

But looking a bit further into the future, this was the worst possible thing that could happen. Even though some recruits have said they will wait and see what will develop as far who will be the next offensive coordinator, one has to believe that a few will be looking elsewhere to play college football.

The hype and grandeur that the spread brought to the Plains was translating into the recruiting world. This is what Tommy Tuberville was looking for when he first hired Franklin. Now, at least on the offensive side, that is all in question.

Now let us look at the situation from a common sense standpoint. Firing a guy only six games, seven if you want to include the Chick-fil-A Bowl, into his first season as offensive coordinator is downright inconceivable.

I understand the philosophies of the coaches were at opposite ends, but give the man a chance to do what he is capable of doing. Franklin was on his own little island at Auburn. He was really never given the chance to do what the spread was capable of doing.

All that being said, in hindsight, it was not as shocking as it could have been. Regardless of how the season turns out, this is a black eye to the Auburn football program. This will probably be known as a "slip-up" for Tuberville in 10 years as head coach. The only way that this incident will go under the rug is if Auburn wins out the rest of the season. The recruiting will be another issue down the road.

What also can be said is that Franklin was not a good fit for Auburn in the first place. This maybe the best thing for both parties. Franklin can go pursue other opportunities, while Auburn can focus on hosting the Razorbacks this Saturday.

Only time will tell what will happen to this team. Two things are for sure, though. The season is not over, and Auburn can still make a season out of this. It is time for the team and the fans to put the focus back on football. We do have a game at Jordan-Hare this weekend.