ESPN: Tuberville Says Auburn Should Be '04 Champ

[AUChizad]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5273313

Tommy Tuberville's 2004 Auburn football team was never given an opportunity to play Southern California for the national championship.

Now that the NCAA has ruled that the Trojans will have to vacate their 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl because star running back Reggie Bush was ineligible, Tuberville says the Tigers should be named national champions.

"We never complained when they went by the process the last time, and they should go by the process this time," said Tuberville, who is now head coach at Texas Tech. "If they were ineligible, I think they should have a re-vote and let people vote on it and decide who they think was the best team that year. If everybody thinks it was Oklahoma, that's fine. If everybody thinks it was Auburn, that's fine."

The Tigers finished 13-0 in 2004 but finished No. 2 in the country after defeating Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl.

Bill Hancock, the chairman of the BCS, said Thursday that if the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee rules that the Trojans should vacate their '04 national championship, there would be no BCS champion for that particular season. Hancock said the BCS would take no action until after USC's appeal to the NCAA is finalized.

"We take the integrity of NCAA rules seriously," Hancock said in a statement. "The POC will meet shortly to discuss this matter. In light of USC's statement that it intends to appeal, we want to make it clear that no action will go into effect until the appeal is heard and decided by the NCAA."

After the regular season, USC was No. 1 and Oklahoma No. 2 in the BCS standings. The Tigers were No. 3, and they became the first SEC team to finish 12-0 and not play for a national championship.

Auburn, which defeated Tennessee 38-28 in the '04 SEC championship game, was led by quarterback Jason Campbell and three future NFL Pro Bowlers: offensive tackle Marcus McNeill, running back Ronnie Brown and defensive tackle Jay Ratliff.

"That was the best football team I've been on, and I coached on three teams that won national championships," Tuberville said. "All you have to do is look at the kids playing in the NFL and how well they've done. That team beat five top-10 opponents that year. We just started the season too low. We started the season ranked [No. 18] in the country and kept climbing."

Tuberville, who was forced out as Auburn's coach after the 2008 season, would have been owed a $300,000 bonus for winning a national championship.

The NCAA ordered USC to vacate its bowl victory during the 2004 season and any games in which Bush played in 2005.

Bush ran six times for 75 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards against Oklahoma in the '05 Orange Bowl. At the time, the Trojans became the first team to repeat as AP national champions since Nebraska in 1994-95 and the first since Florida State in '99 to go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Campaigning hard there....

Gotta give props and a big War Eagle! to Tubs on this one.

[Birmingham]

He's only trying to get his job back, don't trust him.

[Townhallsavoy]

He's only trying to get his job back, don't trust him.

[djsimp]

He's only trying to get his job back, don't trust him.

you only wish

[GH2001]

you only wish

Their last memory of Tubs
36-0

Their last memory of Chizik
26-21


Just saying.....

[djsimp]

Their last memory of Tubs
36-0

Their last memory of Chizik
26-21


Just saying.....

true that but most bammers wanted Tubs gone merely cuz he pretty much owned them.

[GH2001]

true that but most bammers wanted Tubs gone merely cuz he pretty much owned them.

And Im not trying to belittle the man personally here, but he "owned" them when they were not at 85 schollys and Sheila was roaming the sidelines....if you consider "owned" never beating them by more than 8 points anywhere in that streak. As down as Bama was and as bad as their coaching was, they still kept the Iron Bowl competitive. If Tubby couldnt blow them out during their rough stretch, he never will.

That is all.

[jmar]

And Im not trying to belittle the man personally here, but he "owned" them when they were not at 85 schollys and Sheila was roaming the sidelines....if you consider "owned" never beating them by more than 8 points anywhere in that streak. As down as Bama was and as bad as their coaching was, they still kept the Iron Bowl competitive. If Tubby couldnt blow them out during their rough stretch, he never will.

That is all.

Well said!

[GH2001]

Also - when the roles got reversed: Bama became a well oiled machine and Auburn became dysfunctional with some people on the sidelines with no clue, the result was far from a close game (36-0). 

I did not like the hire for a long time, but Chizik in his first year, rebuilding and against a Bama juggernaut (who won the NC) was able to keep Auburn competitive with Bama the whole game and Auburn still had a shot to win on the last play of the game. Got to give my props when they are due. Chiz has done much better than I ever thought he would.

But I do appreciate the plug from Tubs. I agree with him here. Either vote Auburn or Oklahoma the National Champion OR vacate the bitch - but DO NOT leave it in USC's hands. And thats exactly what they just did. A travesty.

[JR4AU]

And Im not trying to belittle the man personally here, but he "owned" them when they were not at 85 schollys and Sheila was roaming the sidelines....if you consider "owned" never beating them by more than 8 points anywhere in that streak. As down as Bama was and as bad as their coaching was, they still kept the Iron Bowl competitive. If Tubby couldnt blow them out during their rough stretch, he never will.

That is all.

Tubby beat them 7 out of 10 tries.  They weren't down the entire time, and it's the bammer program he had to play.  Lest we forget he had an winning or .500 record against he likes of FL, UGA, UT, and LSU during that time.  His final season may have tipped that in the end, but he was competitive with the WHOLE SEC, not just bammer.  Like all coaches he had a team that was his bugaboo in Ark...he still beat them most of the time, the losses were just usually uncalled for (see bugabboo), and ugly.  A blowout by Tubby standards was 10 points...see the Sack Brodie game for reference.  That was a beat down of epic proportions. 

Anyway, Tubs is gone...and Auburn is both better for his having been here, and now for him being gone.  Boooyah!

That is all. 

[wesfau2]

And Im not trying to belittle the man personally here, but he "owned" them when they were not at 85 schollys and Sheila was roaming the sidelines....if you consider "owned" never beating them by more than 8 points anywhere in that streak. As down as Bama was and as bad as their coaching was, they still kept the Iron Bowl competitive. If Tubby couldnt blow them out during their rough stretch, he never will.

That is all.

You've bought the lie.  Auburn doesn't only beat bama when the tahd is down.  It's actually the other way around.

[JR4AU]

You've bought the lie.  Auburn doesn't only beat bama when the tahd is down.  It's actually the other way around.

Yep, since Dye took over, Auburn leads 16-13.  They haven't been "down" for 29 years.

[GH2001]

You've bought the lie.  Auburn doesn't only beat bama when the tahd is down.  It's actually the other way around.

Im just saying he didnt "own" them like we make it out to be. They were as crippled as theyve ever been with a buffoon for a coach and he still couldnt blow them out of the water on the scoreboard. Like I said earlier this week, jump out to a 14-0 lead and hang on for 4 quarters never suited me. Slit the jugular I say.

And I never said we only beat them when they are down. You guys are increasing the scope to something beyond what I was talking about. I was merely referring to Tubs "owning" them and not putting his foot on their throat while they were down.

[wesfau2]

Im just saying he didnt "own" them like we make it out to be. They were as crippled as theyve ever been with a buffoon for a coach and he still couldnt blow them out of the water on the scoreboard. Like I said earlier this week, jump out to a 14-0 lead and hang on for 4 quarters never suited me. Slit the jugular I say.

And I never said we only beat them when they are down. You guys are increasing the scope to something beyond what I was talking about. I was merely referring to Tubs "owning" them and not putting his foot on their throat while they were down.

Six straight is pure, unadulterated pwnage.

Sorry the style points weren't there for you.

[Snaggletiger]

Just once though.....

Just once.

[jmar]

Im just saying he didnt "own" them like we make it out to be. They were as crippled as theyve ever been with a buffoon for a coach and he still couldnt blow them out of the water on the scoreboard. Like I said earlier this week, jump out to a 14-0 lead and hang on for 4 quarters never suited me. Slit the jugular I say.

And I never said we only beat them when they are down. You guys are increasing the scope to something beyond what I was talking about. I was merely referring to Tubs "owning" them and not putting his foot on their throat while they were down.

Hey I agree with you about 90% on most topics. But I'm misunderstood 85% of the time, or so I learned.

[AUChizad]

I know this topic is functionally dead, but since it's still a slow day, I found this on the ESPN blogs.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/11345/2004-auburn-team-deserved-better

2004 Auburn team deserved better
June, 11, 2010

By Chris Low
The Associated Press says there won’t be a revote for the 2004 national championship.

That’s a shame, too.

I thought at the time that Auburn at least deserved a shot at the championship, and in many ways, was the best team in the country.

After all, go back and check how many times over the past two decades that an SEC team has run the table with an unblemished record.

The answer: Four.

Alabama did it in 1992 and again last season. Both were national championship clubs. Tennessee did it in 1998 and also won the national championship.

The fourth was Auburn in 2004.

It stung then that the Tigers didn’t get piece of college football’s top prize, and it stings even more now that the NCAA says Reggie Bush was ineligible and should have never been allowed to play on that 2004 USC team.

BCS chairman Bill Hancock says if the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee rules that the Trojans should vacate their 2004 national championship, there would be no BCS champion for that particular season.

That’s about as hollow as it gets if you’re walking in Auburn’s shoes, especially when you consider how talented, how balanced and how deserving that 2004 team truly was.

ESPN.com recently took a look back at the past decade in college football, and I ranked that 2004 Auburn team No. 3 in the SEC behind Alabama’s national championship team last season and Florida’s national championship team in 2008.

You want talent?

The Tigers produced four first-round selections in the 2005 NFL draft, including three of the top nine picks. Eight of the 11 starters on defense went on to play in the NFL.

Only two teams in 2004 came within single digits of the Tigers, who beat five top-15 teams nationally on their way to a 13-0 finish. As a comparison, Alabama and Florida each beat just four top-15 teams the past two years en route to their national titles.

One of the things that will always stick out to me about that Auburn team was the incredible speed the Tigers stockpiled on defense. There weren’t marquee names all over the place, but everybody could run.

Maybe that’s why Auburn finished No. 1 nationally that season in scoring defense, allowing just 147 points in 13 games. That’s an average of 11.3 points per game. The second-place team that season (Virginia Tech) was pushing 13 points per game (12.8).

Moreover, Auburn surrendered just four rushing touchdowns all season and didn’t give up any touchdowns on the ground in the first eight games.

The other thing about the 2004 Tigers was how balanced they were. As good as they were on defense –- coordinated by current Auburn coach Gene Chizik -- they were equally potent on offense.

Auburn finished 18th nationally in scoring offense, and Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 2,078 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Quarterback Jason Campbell passed for 2,700 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Tigers scored 30 points or more in nine of their 13 games.

The only knock against that team was its soft nonconference schedule. The Tigers beat up on Louisiana-Monroe, The Citadel and Louisiana Tech.

Nonetheless, it’s a team to remember and a team that deserved better than it received.

It did then and does so even more now.

[AUChizad]

I know this topic is functionally dead, but since it's still a slow day, I found this on the ESPN blogs.

Another, this one from al.com...

Only one team deserves the 2004 football title: Auburn
Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 6:11 AM     Updated: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 10:19 PM
Mike Herndon

Do you remember the football season when there was no champion? Chances are you will.

If and when the NCAA brushes off USC’s appeal of the sanctions it slapped on the Trojans last week, there won’t be a 2004 BCS national champion — even though there’s a perfectly deserving one sitting there waiting for it.

The Auburn Tigers.
 
Auburn’s 13-0 2004 squad was the odd team out when USC and Oklahoma also finished the regular season undefeated. USC whipped the Sooners 55-19 in the Orange Bowl to claim the crystal football and Auburn, which beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar, was left to stew.

Now that the NCAA has ruled USC must vacate that Orange Bowl win due to improper benefits given to star running back Reggie Bush, the only right-minded thing to do is to take the title from USC and give it to the only member of that trio to officially win a bowl game after the 2004 season — Auburn.

Call it a retro title. Call it irrelevant. Call it revisionist history. It’s also the right thing to do.

But apparently, it’s not going to happen.

The Associated Press, which voted USC No. 1 in 2004 along with the BCS, has already said it will not re-vote, leaving the Trojans with a tainted title no matter what happens in the appeal. The BCS understandably will not take any action until the appeal is heard, a process that could take as much as a year. If the NCAA upholds its sanctions, the BCS could — and should — strip USC of its title.

The Trojans didn’t win that championship for being 12-0. Take away that final win over Oklahoma and you should take the crown as well.

But BCS chairman Bill Hancock has said that if the Trojans are stripped of the crown, there simply will be no national champion for 2004.

What a bunch of garbage.

A vacated win is different than a forfeited win in that the losing team doesn’t get to erase the loss.

So crank up the computers. Drag those 2004 ballots back out. Scratch USC off the top, move everyone else up one slot, and Auburn is your national champ.

Former Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville, now at Texas Tech, says it’s only fair. “We never complained when they went by the process the last time, and they should go by the process this time,” he told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach last week. “If they were ineligible, I think they should have a re-vote and let people vote on it and decide who they think was the best team that year.”


For Tuberville to claim he never complained about being left out in the cold may be a bit of revisionist history itself. And Tuberville, who would have been due a $300,000 bonus had the Tigers won a national crown, certainly can’t claim to be an unbiased observer.

But he’s also right. If USC’s appeal is overruled, Auburn should get its due as the 2004 national champion. And not just in Golf Digest.