Good Summation

[Godfather]

The Birmingham News
You gotta know when to fold'em
By: Ray Melick
Thursday, October 09, 2008

That's what bringing Tony Franklin to Auburn was for Tuberville. He was taking a formula that had made him one of the most successful coaches in the country over the past five years and treating it like it had become a bad habit.

When you thought of Auburn football, you thought of great defense, NFL-caliber tailbacks, smash-mouth offensive lines, ball-control offense and winning with field position and the kicking game.

And suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Tuberville decided to bring in a guy from the Hal Mumme, Mike Leach, "load up on small wide receivers and throw the ball first, second and third" philosophy of offensive football.

It never had a chance. Tuberville kept talking about wanting to have balance by running the ball, but that's not how you get balance in a spread offense. Even the master of the spread-option, Rich Rodriguez, will tell you defenses have to believe you are willing to throw the ball on every down if they don't back off, because the only way you can run the ball in the spread is when defenses are so concerned about the pass they give you the run. Eventually, it balances out.

But Auburn football has always been about establishing the run first. And that's almost impossible in a spread offense.

Yet Tuberville tried to sound committed. Despite an offense that ranked 104th in the nation, despite reporters who gathered outside Franklin's office like vultures waiting for the bleeding animal to finally die, everything Tuberville said was that this offense was Auburn's offense of the future.

Tuesday, the reports were that Franklin had been unleashed. The "old Tony" was back - all over the field, coaching receivers, linemen, quarterbacks, running the offense the way he always had until he got to Auburn, when he tried to meld his system with that of a veteran offensive staff already in place.

It was, by all accounts, one of the best practices of the fall, and at the end of it, Tuberville reiterated his commitment to Franklin and the spread.

So what happened between Tuesday's practice and the knock on Franklin's office door Wednesday shortly after lunch?

Something happened internally that forced Tuberville to this decision, something that happened perhaps in a staff meeting where the Tuberville loyalists - Hugh Nall, Eddie Gran, Greg Knox, Steve Emsfinger, the guys who have been with Tuberville the longest - and the new guy, Franklin, crossed paths in a way that must have left the head coach feeling like he had no choice.

Did Franklin step on other coaches' toes? Toes that were already a little bruised at the idea that the boss would bring in a new guy who did things so radically different from anything this staff had ever done before?

And if it came down to it, whose side do you think Tuberville would take?

Tuberville went with the past over the future. That's not to say it was the wrong decision. In fact, with a weak Arkansas team coming to town and an off-week next week, this was the perfect time to make a change and retreat into the comfort zone of a familiar staff that will no doubt adapt a few of Franklin's ideas with the kind of offense that is familiar and comfortable and - let's be honest - safe.

But it also further demonstrates that Tuberville is no longer the reckless gambler. He no longer seems to have the nerve to fly in the face of convention, too concerned - and perhaps rightly so - with losing all that he's worked so hard to build.

Franklin was never a good fit at Auburn. That seemed obvious to everyone on the outside.

Wednesday, Tuberville realized it, too.