Tuberville, Auburn Part Ways

Tommy Tuberville stepped down as head football coach at Auburn on Wednesday after 10 seasons on the sideline at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers completed a 5-7 season last week after a blowout 36-0 loss to rival and top-ranked Alabama, a team Tuberville beat seven out of ten tries in his career. Tuberville compiled an 85-40 record with the Tigers, including a perfect 2004 season when they went 13-0 but finished second in the country. I don't think there's any doubt that athletic director Jay Jacobs started nudging Tuberville out the door immediately after the loss to Alabama. Heck, he probably even wanted him to follow his poor spread offense guru out the door in mid-October. This is the same school--depite being under a different president and athletic director--that tried to hire Bobby Petrino away from Louisville in the middle of the night five years ago, only for Tuberville to record an undefeated season the next year. Tuberville hasn't forgotten how to coach. Rather, a new sheriff is in town in the state of Alabama, and he's residing in Tuscaloosa, which made the Auburn administration a little uncomfortable. Another Tommy coaching at Clemson? I would venture to say that he'd be on the short list.

SEC West Title on the Line?

One of the best annual matchups of the college football season will take place on Saturday night as the battle of the Tigers takes place at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Defending national champion LSU, ranked sixth in the nation, takes on #10 Auburn in a game that always has major title implications. LSU has claimed the SEC West in each odd-numbered year this decade; not coincidentally, those were the years in which they have hosted Auburn in Baton Rouge. Also not coincidentally, LSU has failed to win the West division in even-numbered years when it has lost to Auburn at Jordan-Hare. Records and rankings truly mean nothing in this bitter rivalry.

The most interesting aspect of this season's contest has to be the quarterback play for both teams, as both Les Miles and Tommy Tuberville are expected to play a two-headed monster throughout the game, with Andrew Hatch and Chris Todd starting the games for LSU and Auburn, respectively. We will also get to see Auburn's new spread offense play against a legitimate SEC defense for the first time.

Paul Rhoads' Auburn defense has not allowed a first-half point all season and is giving up just 214 yards per game. LSU has allowed three. Final score: LSU 13, Auburn 9.


What in the world has happened at West Virginia? A team that returned quarterback Pat White and dynamo Noel Devine suddenly can't score. The Mountaineers are unable to run inside, convert third- and fourth and shorts, and are generally getting out-toughed. Coach Bill Stewart, praised for leading the program to a win in the Fiesta Bowl during the Rich Rodriguez mess, will now surely be under fire, especially after recently signing a contract extension.