Thats because CTT has the best Iron bowl winning percentage in history. If we fire someone who has brought the best football in my life to the AU, we will look foolish to the rest of college football. In addition no big name will want to coach at AU, any already established big name coach will look at the success CTT has had and know even if he has 7 good years, after one bad year AU will run him.

My thoughts on the game were that we could playwith them, especially in talent. We were outcoached as we were all year long. Our team never looked ready to play all year and moronic mistake of Bynes’ was a summary of year long poor coaching.

The last series of the first half, was what I had been expecting all game..Kodi had fire and he was being a leader. It was unfortunate that the 3 didn’t count, but at least there is promise of a kicker that can score points. Coming out of the half, I really thought that we had a chance to pull it out. Then, it seemed everything went horribly wrong. It was just one thing after another. The defense can not be on the field as much as they were yesterday and be expected to make the big plays. that is seriously unrealistic. I hope that Tuberville does clean house offensively. I don’t see how he has much choice assuming that the choice is still his. What would compound this egregous season would be the dismissal of a coach that has brought much success to the Plains. Within, the last decade, the SEC has been considered a dominant conference and that is coincident with the rise of AU football, and that has everything to do with Tubs. He will turn it around quickly..that is his signature. War Eagle!

Imagine Kodi in the Dennis Dixon role in that offense.

I think everyone here is solidly behind Tuberville and the program but I think we all need to consider a few what ifs. I have said before that I support Tubby and whomever he wants to bring back next year. However what is the president and the AD to think if he stands solidly behind his staff and is unwilling to fire any of them? I think we all agree that a lot of what is wrong with the offense is Tubs staff unwillingness to grow and change with the times,….that and our coaching of fundamentals in the skill positions on offense is unacceptably poor. So, what if? I still think you let Tubby sink or swim with who he wants but if I’m the president I would have a really hard time accepting that decision. I know if I’m president I am looking for some solid signs that Tubby has what it takes to turn this around…I personally am not so sure he does.

Here is what we know about Tuberville. He has based his entire career on building a strong team with defense and a running game. He has always been extremely conservative in his offensive gameplan despite his “Riverboat Gambler” moniker. Where he has taken chances is on special teams and by not always following the conventional rules of football like, never go for it on 4th down on your side of the field. He has always had a good feeling of momentum in a game and how best to snatch it from an opponent…but even that has been missing the last couple of years. Tuberville at his core is a “win with defense and don’t let the offense screw it up” guy. The problem with him has always been that he handcuffs the OC. Even in 2004 when we overmatched our competition with our offensive weapons, he would call off the dogs once it was clear the game was in hand…and it was one of the reasons no one considered us on par with USC or Oklahoma. Classy? Yes….but ultimately costly both in our ability to climb in the polls but also in his ability to keep talented co-ordinators. What kind of co-ordinator wants to be held back because the head coach doesn’t trust you to protect the football, or bring in their own assistants? Not many good ones as we’ve seen. All we have to offer is a reprieve from the scrap heap (Borges) or an opportunity to make the jump to big time college football (Petrino, Franklin). The best candidates are not going to give us a sniff unless they are given free reign over the offense or we change the name of the university to Southern Cal. Is Tubby going to do that? History says he won’t and I’m afraid he thinks he’s too good to give up control of the offense to someone new, regardless of who they are or they’re credentials.

We’ve got to consider what the elite programs are doing and are we on the same path? Every big time program has a strong defense but a STRONGER offense, every team in the top 10 can lay 40 or more on an opponent….and a lot of them can lay down 60 or more. I think Tubs tried to bring that to our offense with the hire of Franklin but just like anything else in life, if you fail to commit yourself 100% to what you’re doing, odds are you’re going to fail. Tubs failed this year….miserably. The problem is we aren’t any closer to getting any better and yesterday made that painfully clear. Alabama outclassed us in every facet of the game and showed how bare we are in the cupboard in ideas, schemes and playmaking talent. We could have played all night against the Tide and never scored a touchdown the way we were playing.

Tubs could turn things around….I hope he does. If he had the talent Mark Richt has at UGA we would have 2 or 3 national championships, thats how much I regard his ability to instill discipline and team unity…the problem is we aren’t blessed with an embarassment of talent and we need good solid coaching and innovative thinking on the offensive side of the ball to make up for our talent deficiencies. Tuberville is a leader and a solid head coach, but innovative he is not. If we want to get back to contending for the SEC he needs to give up control and be comfortable bringing in coaching talent that is good enough to replace him. All great leaders are willing to do that because ultimately they know that having success ensures their own greatness.

 What if Tuberville doesn’t figure that out?

I don’t think it will be Malzahn but the thought of Chuck Long at AU is downright christmas come early. He understands the spread and the need for power running up the gut……he can also coach QB’s.