Let us all just take a minute and absorb all the information that has been released in this turmoil on the Plains. Many articles have been written talking about the "knee-jerk" reaction that took place, but lets be logical for a second.

We all know Bobby Lowder and Co. did not like Tuberville. That fact is as well known as the sky is blue. We all know he took tons of heat for this past season, including an embarrassing loss to the Crimson Tide.

I was quick to judge last night as were most people. I had never been that angry about Auburn Football in a long time. I called up my cohorts in orange and blue, ranted and raved with them to find a way to scream, yell, and finally calm down.

Then came the press conference at 11 AM this morning. I was waiting to hear those words "We believed that the program would go in a different direction." I was ready to toss my chair at the computer.

I was surprised with what I heard and saw. When I watched the press conference, I saw Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs look as pale as ever. It looked like he saw a ghost. After watching it, my opinions changed dramatically.

Now I will say I am not that naive to believe everything Jacobs said, but there was something in his voice, his facial expressions, the way he looked. It was as he didn't want to be up there signifying the end of a great head coach.

Believe what you want, and say what you want to say, but here is my honest opinion:

I think for the most part, Tuberville knew he was not going to win this battle. The people with the money was drooling over his disastrous season. President Jay Gogue and Jacobs were getting pressure from those "fat cats" as BabyTate so eloquently mentioned in his article.

In the midst of this pressure though, Gogue and Jacobs were wanting Tuberville to stay. You look at Jacobs's face during the conference and tell me that he was lying about asking Tuberville three times to stay with the program. I'm not the best judge of character, but I know a man when his emotions are about to take over.

Instead of continuing to persuade Tuberville to come back, Jacobs realized the end was coming. Plus on the night before his resignation, Tuberville had a long chat with his wife Suzanne.

Now this is not all as bad as it sounds. Tuberville will remain in Auburn for at least a year, work under President Gogue, and get to spend time with his family. Not to mention the cool $5.1 million Tuberville will receive in the next year.

Tuberville dealt with all of the events in his tenure with class. I was honored to have met the man when I was just a bumbling college kid working for the University radio station. I got to see more than the average person ever would, and I'm thankful for that.

What will come of this, I do not know. I do know that to the extent of President Gogue and AD Jay Jacobs, they handled it the best way possible. Instead of dragging Tuberville through what would surely end up as a lame duck season, they let him get back to what was most important to him. That was Tuberville's family.

I don't know how many people feel this way, but I will miss seeing Tommy Tuberville on the sidelines. In my mind, he is the epitome of an Auburn man. That is why he was so successful.

Whoever is the new head coach, I only hope they follow the foundations Tuberville has set to grow young men into productive members of society. That is what college football is supposed to be about.

That is what Auburn football is supposed to be about.

Rivalries take on a meaning of their own. Usually, there is a heap of bad blood between the two teams that make up the rivalry. In the 111 meetings between the Tigers and the Bulldogs, it is more than just a rivalry.

Sure there is the heat of the moment, the want of a win, but these two schools are much closer than just the 45 points that separates the two teams. This rivalry takes on more of a sibling rivalry, brother vs. brother.

It seems when college football was born, it was destiny that Auburn and Georgia meet. The friendship shared by Auburn coach Cliff Hare and Georgia coach Charles Herty back in the old days not only symbolized the bond between the two schools, but one of the reasons college football is big in the Deep South.

Many Auburn coaches were and have been former Bulldogs (Pat Dye as a famous example), and Bulldog coaches being former Tigers (Vince Dooley as a famous example). There is mounds of history between these two schools, and you could get lost in just reading up on the old news clippings and highlight reels.

However, all is not pleasant for both squads. Georgia (8-2) and Auburn (5-5) have fallen on hard times this season. Both teams were expecting to play each other again in the SEC Championship, but two key losses to Georgia and chaos that has ensued in Auburn have killed those expectations.

Georgia is looking to sweep its two rivals, and reach a New Year's Day bowl. Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are Georgia's "one-two" offensive punch that leads the SEC in total yards per game. They are looking to make it three-in-a-row over the Tigers.

Auburn is hoping to win to become bowl eligible. With Tony Franklin's firing, inconsistant scoring, and injuries abound, it has been nothing short of a rough year for the Tigers. There are many questions swirling around, but one thing is for sure. The players will be focused in on this first part of "Amen Corner."



Auburn will win if...

Kodi Burns emerges as an all-around threat

Kodi Burns took the game into his hands last weekend against UT-Martin. He ran for 158 yards, and threw for 130. He can change this game into Auburn's favor quickly if Georgia allows him to get into space. If he gets help from any of his running backs (Brad Lester, Ben Tate, Mario Fannin, and Tristan Davis), it will be a sign of good things to come.

Auburn stops the run

Auburn's biggest problem, most likely due to injuries, is stopping the rushing attack of SEC teams. It will be easier said than done with Knowshon Moreno coming into town. With the return of Sen' Derrick Marks, Antonio Coleman, and Tez Doolittle from injury, the defensive line will be as healthy as it has been in weeks.



Auburn will lose if...

Georgia's offense takes off

Matthew Stafford has picked apart Auburn two years in a row. It could easily be said that he will do it again to the injured secondary of Auburn. Add A.J. Greene and Knowshon Moreno into the mix, it could end up a very long day for Auburn if the Bulldogs get off quick and do not let up.

Auburn does not execute plays

The biggest problem for the Tigers has been just simple execution of plays. Auburn's offense will get on a roll, then either a penalty or a turnover will throw off the team's rhythm. If Auburn cannot execute against Georgia's defense, then it will be a familiar outcome for the team in orange and blue.



The X-Factor

Virgil Starks

Many of you may not realize who Virgil was, but he was close to all of Auburn's student-athletes. Virgil Starks was Auburn's Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Support Services. He made sure that the player's academics and well being was looked after. Auburn will be wearing a sticker with Stark's initials on the back of their helmets.

With all the turmoil that has happened to this team so far, this will be a rallying point for the players. And for a rivalry that is already unpredictable, this only adds fuel to the fire.



Prediction:

It is pretty obvious that Auburn will have to play a complete game to win. It may not take a perfect game, but they have to play four quarters and achieve some consistency.

Georgia will score points; there is no doubt about that. It may come down to containing Matthew Stafford and the Bulldog offense to achieve victory.

The realistic prediction: Georgia 31, Auburn 17

Georgia should be able to move the ball against Auburn's limping defense. Moreno may not have to have a 100-yard game to win due to Stafford's ability to pick apart secondaries.

This Auburn Fan's optimistic prediction: Auburn 24, Georgia 20

If Georgia commits turnovers like they have in their two losses, Auburn should be able to take advantage of these turnovers. It will all depend on Auburn playing their best game of the year to date.



For Auburn fans, the hope of the season lies in this first game of "Amen Corner." Let it be said that anything can happen, especially when Georgia and Auburn meet on the field.

I apologize for the lack of posts in recent days. My work has taken over a lot as of late and I am currently on vacation, but there are some highlights to be thought of in Auburn sports this past week:

Women's Soccer:
Auburn got a crucial win over Georgia last Thursday night. Auburn now faces Tennessee today on the Plains.

Golf:
The women are fourth at the Auburn Derby Invitational. Candace Schepperle is the top Tiger player, seven strokes off the individual leader.
The men were plagued by bad weather and inconsistent play on the back nine, falling to 12th at the Ridges

Tennis:
Alex Haney and Melissa Koning are both in the Round of 16 at the ITA Regionals at the University of Georgia. Michel Monteiro moved to the semifinals at the Crimson Tide Fall Classic, but then was eliminated. Hunter Mills and Alex Petropoulos were in consolation play. Petropoulos will play in the consolation finals today.

Baseball:
The Fall World Series classic is tied 1-1. Grant Dayton got the win on the mound for the blue team, pitching five shutout innings. The rubber game will be played today.

Keep checking back for more updates, including the previews for the men's and women's basketball seasons.

WAR EAGLE!

Patience. Its a word that many understand but have trouble using. It's even tougher for those that live in the South when it comes to college football. Patience is a very thin line between satisfaction and discontent.

For Auburn fans, many, including myself, are not pleased with what has transpired this season thus far. This was supposed to be a team vying for the SEC West. This was supposed to be set up well for Auburn to go to the SEC Championship. None of this has happened.

Seven games in, Auburn is out of the SEC West race. They are a team that does not know who they are. Last week's loss to Arkansas proved all what I have written so far.

Even though the situation is grim, Auburn fans need to have patience. It is true we are out of the SEC West race, but that does not mean we are done for this season.

In last week's game, I saw a team that looked like it was out on the field for the first time. Yes, the offense was bland, and it gave another dismal performance. I saw something in that game though that I wonder if anyone else took notice.

I saw a team that was trying to get it together.

Think of it this way dear readers, with all that has gone on so far this season, no one on the team has really gotten a chance to settle into the offense. Last week, Auburn was trying out things to see where they are comfortable doing.

Some things worked, and some things didn't. At the end, they almost came back to win the game. To me, this Auburn team is just now starting the season. The problem was it came against a SEC team.

I'm being optimistic I know, but people who have at least followed Auburn in the past few years know that the guys on the team are talented. So I recommend a few things to my fellow members of the Auburn family:

1. Stay calm.

Yes the panic is abundant, but lets not have it take over the season. Auburn still has five games left. Auburn has a good shot at making a bowl game.

2. Forget what Alabama is doing.

Bama is getting their time in the spotlight again. Let them get their limelight. They still have a ways to go as well. Remember, they haven't accomplished what they set out to do this season until they finally beat Auburn.

3. Minimize/Stop the booing.

I've written an article about booing Auburn.

4. Tuberville has been in this situation before.

Remember 2001 when a hapless Alabama team with only four wins beat Auburn in Jordan-Hare? Remember 2003 when Auburn was supposed to win it all? Tuberville has been on the hot seat before, and he's managed to pull it out. Don't count him out just yet.



Here's my final word. Don't give up on these players. Don't give up on the coaches just yet. There are five games left. I have a feeling that something is on the horizon. Only time will tell the fate of the 2008 season.

3-3 two weeks ago, life kept me away from picking last week.

As far as Tony Franklin's firing, I think the most succinct way to sum up my feeling is: IF Tommy Tuberville felt that the offense wasn't going to improve this season, AND that the risk-reward factor for the next several seasons wouldn't improve the offense exponentially, then he made the right move. Get back to what you do well on offense and, most importantly, RECRUIT with that mindset. If this was a knee-jerk reaction to a loss to Vanderbilt and rough performances against Tennessee and Mississippi State, then you have every reason to be worried.

With that, here are the picks:

Oklahoma 27 (-7)
Texas 17

East Carolina 27 (-6.5)
Virginia 20

**LOCK OF THE WEEK**
Tennessee 13
Georgia 34 (-12.5)

Arkansas 7
Auburn 24 (-16.5)

Iowa State 28
Baylor 37 (-5)

Oklahoma State 38 (+14)
Missouri 51

LSU 23 (+6)
Florida 27

UCLA 20
Oregon 52 (-19.5)

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 is not look 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 (RB Coach Eddie Gran, WR Coach Greg Knox, OL Coach Hugh Nall, and now play caller and QB 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 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 down right inconceivable. I understand that 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 on how the season turns out, this is a black eye to the Auburn football program. This will probably be known as Tuberville's first "slip-up" in ten 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 focus back onto football. We do have a game at Jordan-Hare this weekend.

As most of you know, Offensive Coordinator Tony Franklin was fired this afternoon. Many reports and opinions have been posted on several other sites. We at Tigers Source believe that all of these articles are reactionary and without proper consideration. We will respond to this situation with two, possibly three, posts on the site tomorrow. We believe this situation requires thought and time to bring you, the reader, the clarity you expect from us.

Again, we will post our analysis at some point tomorrow. Thank you and War Eagle!