Tennessee's Coaching Saga May Force Auburn to Keep Tommy Tuberville

Auburn's administration and big boosters are watching the state of Tennessee closely.  Since the Vols were first in the SEC to announce the ouster of a coach this season, Auburn was watching closely to see who might take the bait.

Perhaps they are letting Tennessee do the legwork and then will try to counter with an Auburn job.  But with Tennessee struggling to find someone, anyone with a worthy name and a golden résumé, Auburn may wonder if they should give Tuberville another year.

With the money the buyout would cost them, and with big bucks booster Bobby Lowder seeing all his Colonial Bank stock portfolio taking the Acapulco cliff dive, money may be tight around Toomer's Corner these days.

People close to Lowder have asked him about the coaching change, and he simply responded, with my bank stock going from about $18.00 a share to $1.71, I've got my hands full trying to keep my business going.  Hmm, no skybox for Bobby next season...

Auburn fans want a big name, but they don't have the money for one with Tubby's buyout hanging over them.  They'd also have to pony up some smaller change for all the assistants.  And let's face it, they're too stupid to go after Bobby Johnson at Vanderbilt, who is a great coach at a bad football school.

The SEC has a lot of star power coaching on the sidelines.  Tennessee and Auburn fans may find money can't buy enough BC Powder for all the headaches they'd have at these schools right now.

Now some schools are doing their best to "tie up" their good assistants that may get head coaching jobs.  Fearing that Auburn may come calling for Muschamp to come back to the plains, the University of Texas raised his pay to over $900,000 and named him head coach in waiting.  This is a similar move to what Florida State did by tying up Jimbo Fisher.

Auburn feels it has time to let the Tuberville saga play out.  This season won't end pretty, and it remains to be seen just how long Auburn will wait to make a move.

Tuberville kidded with fans this week that at least he hasn't gotten the kiss of death.  That would be Auburn putting out a statement that they are backing him.