What We Learned, 10/14

Hey everyone. Thanks again for a swell campfire last night. It was the second-biggest day in terms of HABOTN traffic, so it's clear that the fire is spreading. I know a lot of you have said nice things about us and turned your friends toward this glowing mass of illumination, so thanks for that.

Let's take a gander at some stuff I keep hearing about. You're probably wondering about and/or hearing the same stuff.

UPDATE: ESPN.com's Mark Schalbach, a friend of the HABOTN, reports that Tommy Bowden is out at Clemson. Those Tigers are 3-3. A Bowden fired at mid-season? That never happens.

• Why did Auburn pass three times near the Arkansas goal line? Tuberville said Arkansas stacked the box and thereby prohibited a running play. I'm just telling you what he said.
  
  
• What is the deal with Barrett Trotter? He represents a fresh slate, which could be a good thing for Auburn. Trotter is a guy this staff really liked as a senior at Briarwood Christian this time last year. He's a kid with good stuff: Enough speed and a good arm. Is he ready for a major challenge? I don't see how anyone -- including coach Tommy Tuberville -- can know. Trotter has been running scout team for two months. I believe coaches are going to give him a legitimate shot this week and will remove Trotter's redshirt if they feel good about his practice work.
  
  
• What about Neil Caudle? Isn't he the third-team guy? Tony Franklin ripped Caudle earlier this year for being prone to interceptions, which is something Tuberville et. al. are trying to avoid. Caudle's path to playing time is clearer now than it was with Franklin in the fold, but I think Trotter has more upside and may be considered a more worthy player.
  
  
• Is Tuberville going to survive this? He could. Auburn is 4-3 right now. The rest of the season looks like this:
  
  10/23: at West Virginia
  11/1: at Ole Miss
  11/8: UT-Martin
  11/15: Georgia
  11/29: at Alabama
  
  How many wins do you see? UT-Martin is a gimme. Auburn will be a mild underdog at WVU and Ole Miss. It probably will be a major underdog against Georgia and Alabama.
  
  Let's say Auburn splits em and goes 7-5. It may come down to which game represents the seventh win.
  
  Considering what happened to Tommy Bowden today, Auburn finishing 7-5 with a loss to Alabama likely would spell the end of the Tuberville era here. There is one thing you always must consider: Tuberville is best with his back against the wall. It's a mistake to ever count him out.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.