News of the day, 11/5

Hey everyone. A few readers disagree with my assertion that Kodi Burns' best-cast career scenario now mirrors Jason Campbell's: Two years of badness, one year of pretty good play, one year of MVP play. Look, we're almost finished with Year One of Badness. Do you really think Burns will be mistaken for Andre Woodson or Matt Ryan next year?

I'm not trashing the kid. Not by a long shot. He's 18, I know that, and he certainly has a LONG time to refine his skills. What I'm saying is that Auburn (and others) talked about Burns like he was ready. The coaches chose to play him as a true freshman, which indicated that they thought he was ready to contribute in some way. Now Blake Field is the backup. Why not leave Burns on the scout team and let him learn like every single Tuberville quarterback before him?

If Field was good enough to be the backup all along, why burn a year of Burns' eligibility? It seems wasteful.

Thanks for peeping the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

ESPN is reporting that Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione is in negotiations for a contract buyout. You know what that means: Tuberville will become an official candidate soon. Athletic director Jay Jacobs said during the weekend that he planned to talk with Tuberville at season's end, as is customary for all coaches, and formulate a plan from there. I would guess the timetable will be moved up.

Here are some things to keep in mind as the madness begins:
*Tuberville is in the third year of a seven-season deal worth approximately $18.2 million. He is making approximately $2.4 million this season.

*The contract includes a two-way buyout clause of $6 million.

*The contract includes detailed language requiring Tuberville or anyone acting on his "expressed authority" to obtain expressed permission from Auburn to negotiate with another school or professional team. There also is a phrase indicating that Tuberville's people can't "directly or indirectly" speak with possible employers without Auburn's permission. So there won't be any lurking, so to speak.

Let's just say that Texas A&M fires Dennis Franchione. I consider that "imminent."

Let's say Texas A&M really offers Tuberville big-time money ($3.5 million/year). I consider that "possible."

Then what? It'll all come down to how much The Important Trustees value Tuberville in financial terms. That's the real question. Would he be worth $3.5 million? Could Auburn get something better for that kind of money? I'm not touching that one with a 10-foot pole, of course, but these are the kinds of questions shrewd Auburn fans should be asking themselves ... in that pretend world where your opinion matters.