Leaving on a jet plane?

By Staff
Paul Finebaum
For the FCT
Two weeks ago, in the wake of the Mississippi State disaster, the murmur among some Auburn boosters concerned who might be a good replacement for Tommy Tuberville after this season.
Today, in the wake of yet another spectacularly stunning upset over Florida, the question might be about whether Auburn can keep Tuberville from jumping ship following this season.
And here we are, in a brand new month without the faintest idea what is about to happen next. And you wonder why college football is the best sport on earth.
But back to the issue of Tuberville.
While Auburn was righting the ship in Gainesville and Alabama fans were looking to jump ship in Jacksonville, Dennis Franchione (you may remember the name) has inched closer to the unemployment line in College Station with the recent revelation of his insider newsletter scandal.
In the event he is pushed out the door (and if put to a vote of the Aggie Nation, he would go packing), Tuberville would emerge at or near the top of anyone's list of top contenders for the job. He might also be hotly pursed by Arkansas after the expected removal of Houston Nutt.
Tubs knows the terrain in Aggieland, having spent a brief period of time out there as R.C. Slocum's defense coordinator. He is a close friend and confidante to Slocum, who still carries weight with high-ranking boosters.
And while Franchione has been a flop against his biggest rivals (2-10 against Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech), Tuberville's record is 6-2 against Alabama and his most recent upset over Florida (to give him a 9-1 mark in his last 10 games against top-10 opposition), plays well to the oil well barons in Texas. It won't hurt either to consider that Tuberville is a combined 5-0 in his last five meetings with Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
Other than Fran's win over Texas last year, fans have had a hard time getting past the 77-0 loss a few years ago to Oklahoma, a 35-7 pounding to Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl, a 56-17 beating two years ago to Texas Tech and the most recent national television nightmare at Miami.
It also doesn't help that Gene Stallings, who remains bitter about Fran's sleazy departure from Alabama, is now on the Texas A&M Board of Regents and has great stature.
I talked to Stallings the other day in the aftermath of Franchione's latest public relations blunder and it sounded like he was itching to pull the trigger.
Besides, Stallings knows Tuberville, having competed against him while at Alabama (while Tubby was at Ole Miss) and has certainly followed him closely from a distance. Also, Tuberville's charm would work very well out in Texas compared to Franchione, whose personality is colder than the nose of an Alaskan husky at the end of the Iditarod.
There is still the issue of Franchione's buyout, which is even more than Tuberville's. Still, the school might have cause given the recent events.
So, would Tuberville take the money and run? Are you kidding me?
Tuberville may have stopped the hemorrhaging with the Florida upset, but he's not stupid. He knows the game has changed in these parts with Nick Saban. He also knows that he is always going to have to prove himself at Auburn and his relationship with the Auburn Board of Trustees will remain what it currently is – non-existent.
Tuberville will likely deny he has interest in A&M or anywhere else. That's what coaches do (see Saban at Miami or Tubby at Ole Miss). But don't believe it.
The Auburn coach has done a very nice job so far of saving this season from a complete disaster. Much credit should go to him. Tuberville remained patient when some of his Auburn fans were ready to jump ship on Brandon Cox and the program.
What about the $6 million buyout for Tuberville? If he left, he supposedly would have to pay, just like Auburn would have to pay if he were fired. In life, and particularly in college football, everything is negotiable.
So the stage is set for a fascinating final two months of the college football regular season?
Two weeks ago, it appeared that Tuberville would fear the Lear. As in the Board of Trustees cranking up the private plane to start looking for a new coach to replace him. Today, it's Auburn fans who may fear those big jets from Texas heading their way.
Ain't life funny?
Paul Finebaum is a guest columnist for The Franklin County Times. He can be reached via e-mail at finebaumnet@yahoo.com.