Auburn’s game this weekend vs. the Ole Miss Rebels could dictate the postseason fate of the Tigers. A win, and the Tigers probably will be bowl eligible. A loss likely sends Auburn home for Christmas.
Prior to the season, the statement above was viewed as totally and 100% believable, just as it is today. However, the circumstances surrounding Auburn’s 2008 season have that statement meaning something totally different than it did in late July at Media Days, when SEC media members voted the Tigers as the preseason favorite to win the SEC West.
Losers of three straight, and four of their last five, Auburn finds itself in a position that was unfathomable in August – fighting to become bowl eligible. The final four games for the Tigers are as follows: at Ole Miss, vs. UT-Martin, vs. Georgia and at Alabama. With their record now at 4-4, and all three phases of the game struggling mightily, it’s quite possible that Auburn might miss out entirely on bowl season, after receiving so much hype in the preseason publications.
Also at 4-4, Ole Miss has been hit-or-miss this season. When the Tigers visit Oxford this weekend, the Rebels will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since 2004, and will be looking to match their best start since 2003. Coming off an emotional win for Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt over Arkansas, the Rebels find themselves in bowl consideration for the first time since the Eli Manning era. The Tigers might have to play their best game of the year to beat the Rebels. Considering the way they’ve played over the last few, that’s far from a sure thing.
After a late-season tune-up vs. UT-Martin, the Tigers will close the season against Georgia and Alabama, and will likely be double-digit underdogs in each. The Tigers must spring an upset somewhere to become eligible for a bowl – and even then, there’s no guarantee of a bowl game. A trip to Shreveport, Memphis or even Birmingham would be greatly welcomed for the Auburn after struggling in virtually every facet of the game over the last month. Tommy Tuberville has proven to be an excellent big-game coach, amassing a 5-1 record at Auburn vs. teams ranked in the top 5. He needs to re-capture that magic, and do it fast.
A lot of Auburn fans will tell you that they’d rather sit at home than go to any of those bowl games. Those fans would be wrong. With only nine seniors on the two-deep depth chart, Auburn desperately needs a bowl game – of any kind. If, for no other reason, to capitalize on bowl practices. At this point, a bowl game itself would be secondary to improving the roster for the next season. Obviously, due to the firing of Tony Franklin, the Tigers will be hiring a new offensive coordinator. Should they make a bowl game, Tuberville needs to hire one ASAP, and let him get to work with the players immediately.
This is nowhere near where the Tigers wanted to be as they head into November. However, for the Tigers to salvage anything out of this season, they need to forget the disaster that has been the first two months of this season, and play November for what it is - a fight for the right to practice in December. There’s no question that this weeks’ game is the biggest game of the year of the Tigers, and it’s time for the Tigers to step up. If they don’t, there might not be a tomorrow.
