Is There Some Magic Left In Tuberville's Bag?

Bleacher Report: Auburn, AL

After a disastrous 33-17 loss to the Mountaineers of West Virginia last Thursday night on national television, Auburn’s fourth straight, the hopes of a magical year has vanished.

Tommy Tuberville finds his head closer to the chopping block with each second half loss in as many games. It is well documented that the season has not evolved the way Tuberville, his staff nor the fans have imagined it would way back in the spring.

High hopes were the order of the day culminating from the Chicken Bowl win against Clemson last year.

My how things changed in a flash.

Love him or hate him, Tuberville truly does deserve respect and admiration for the program he has resurrected from the ashes after Terry Bowden left it in fuming shambles way back in 1998. Some may argue this season has seemingly come full circle again under Tuberville's watch.

Has it?

That’s for you to decide, but like you, I have my opinions as well. Particularly the debacle of trying to implement the full version of the spread too quickly. Whether it's Tony Franklin's fault or Tuberville’s, none of that matters now.

Tuberville, the players and his staff are no doubt fighting earnestly to rectify the issues that plague the team, but once you get in a deep ditch its difficult to get out, especially this late in the season.

Ole Miss, Tennessee Martin (HC), Georgia and Alabama remain the rest of the season.  One could be confident that Auburn is a lock to finish 1-3, or 2-2 at best from current indicators.  If hopes of salvaging a season lost by beating one team out of the remaining. That thought is simply a fools dream.

If the Tigers lose against Ole Miss this weekend, by the time Tuberville gets back to Auburn from the magnolia state, he may find an option to buy out his contract and check for six million dollars waiting on his desk. 

The powers at Auburn, and some speculate that includes AD Jay Jacobs, will not allow Tuberville to save his job by possibly winning the iron bowl against Alabama for the seventh straight year. Most of the folks in power at Auburn truly like Tuberville and love the University and have it's best interest in mind.

However, anyone that knows anything about Auburn also knows there are a select powerful few that rule with a fist of fury and a hand full of dollars in the other.

With all the outrage in 2003 by most Auburn supporters and fans over the sneaky way former school president William Walker, and sadly former AD David Housel took flight to Kentucky to hire Tuberville’s replacement. A flight upon no less than Auburn trustee Bobby Lowder's plane was simply horrific and dastardly.

The story leaked to the media one day before Auburn was to play Alabama, a game which ultimately Auburn won, thus saving Tuberville from certain doom in 2003 to deliver on a silver platter before the Auburn faithful a undefeated 13-0 season in 2004. 

As well as the fun of sticking a finger in the eye of the haters (you pick the finger) that attempted the firing, giving Tuberville the advantage he needed.  Has he abused his power? 

The NCAA, media or public has certainly not been a witness to any ill doings. There has never been a report that Tuberville has done anything but to be loyal to Auburn’s best interest and that of the players.   

None the less, this kind of season is exactly what those types of power hungry characters have been waiting for with earnest anticipation. The mistakes they made in ‘03 will not be happen twice.

Again, one could argue that Auburn does not have the six million dollars to buy out Tuberville's contract.

Are you kidding?  Bobby “The Banker” Lowder has the cash in hand to fork out if he so desires. Besides Auburn has plenty of discretionary funds in the budget I assure you. It would be poor business to do otherwise.

Obviously a peon like me does not have the contacts to substantiate all of the rumors that fly out of Auburn concerning this fluid situation, nor would I try. However, I do have the common sense to realize the history and expect it to happen again.

Like it or not the writing is on the wall in big bold letters. I’m sure Tuberville sees it too, but what do you expect him to say, “the next four games are make it or break it for me”?

Heck No!! 

He will continue to be the steady statesman, a rock under pressure to the media and public. If Tuberville wants to erase all doubt that he will be at Auburn another ten years as he proclaims, he must beat Ole Miss. That’s the key to buy more time.

If he is successful beating Ole Miss, he may survive a close loss to Georgia. With a huge win over Bama, the seventh in a row, that could derail a bit of their momentum, particularly in state.

Thus, Tuberville saves his position as head coach at Auburn and once again squashing, “for another year”, the evil villains that secretly conspire to undermine coach Tuberville, thus damaging the reputation of Auburn University, ie: SACS.  

Some may say that I am dredging up the past, but I would argue the past is a vehicle for which to learn, so the same mistakes are not repeated again.  That rule applies to both good and evil. Auburn people need not to stick our heads in the sand.

Once the most powerful man at Auburn just a few weeks ago, Tuberville no longer controls his future, that of his staff, and quite frankly the national image of the Auburn football program. 

How it evolves from this point forward is anyone’s guess.  Tuberville must truly feel like a lamb before the slaughter.  In my humble opinion, that’s a damn shame…