11.11.2008

LIVE -- Tuberville press conference, 11/11

Tommy Tuberville is holding his weekly press conference at 1 p.m. Check below for a live synopsis of what's discussed.

  • Here we go ...

  • Two players are doubtful for the UGA game. Merrill Johnson broke a bone in his hand. He's out. Montez Billings, as we discussed here, has a broken nose. He's out for the UGA game. Both could be back for Alabama.

  • On UGA: "Everybody's done everything against them. Some have worked. Some haven't worked. They've been their own worst enemy this year. Their defense -- a lot of speed, but they're not as big as they've been in the past. (The schemes) are a mirror what they've done in seasons past."

  • Who starts in place of Billings?: "He's going to get some practice time in. He has a better chance (of playing) than Merrill."

  • When you get to these teams -- you can count on (players) on both sides. It's a special occasion. It's a fun game for the fans also. They always get into it. It doesn't make any difference what time you play -- the stands are full."

  • Can a win salvage the season?: "I don't know if you call it salvage. When you lose five games ... we don't do that very often. You've still got a knot in your stomach. We've got a better chance to play better on both sides of the ball with the (formerly injuured) guys back."

  • Last time you had a healthy lineup: "The first quarter of the Vanderbilt game. We were playing pretty well up to that point. We had to make a lot of adjustments. That cut back on our execution."

  • Is this still a big game: "They were preseason No. 1. It didn't quite work out for them. For BCS rankings, it affects things a little bit. It doesn't affect fans or alumni any differently. We haven't been very successful over there since (2005). It's good to have it here. In the past, the home team has lost this game. I think that's just coincidence."

  • On UK's Randall Cobb being very successful against UGA last week: "They did have a problem with a quarterback last weekend who was very mobile."

  • "We didn't put much credence into that game we played last weekend."

  • The 2007 game at Georgia: "Our guys were mentally and physically tired. We played well at times. Third quarter -- we gave up a couple long pass plays that put us in a mind. We started missing tackles and it kinda got away from us. It looked like we let our guard down a little bit. I thought we played well enough to win in the first three quarters."

  • He's recalling his Middle East trip with Richt (and others) last summer. While we're here, isn't it interesting that the four major-college coaches on that trip (Tuberville, Richt, Notre Dame's Charlie Weis and Miami's Randy Shannon) have experienced disappointing seasons in 2008?

  • On how the Soulja Boy dancing annoyed them last season: "We don't use things for this game or the Alabama game. This is a lot easier on coaches than maybe that game last week. You have to have a sense of urgency. They're a little more attentive."

  • Coaches into this game?: "Oh yea. Over the years, I've had coaches from Georgia. Coach Nall always gets into it. He doesn't take many phone calls this season. His buddies from over there usually want to make predictions. He takes it personally."

  • On Virgil Starks, who died Saturday at 46: "Virgil has been like a second father to a lot of them. One minute he's here, one minute he's not. He was around these players every day. He was strong with these guys. He was directly with what he wanted. It's really going to affect this team. These guys will play for Virgil. We're going to have a sticker on our helmet with his initials on it. That stern voice is going to be missed."

THAT'S A WRAP.

115 comments:

  1. Ahhh, the suspense...

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  2. Can we just live blog what we think is being said?

    It'll be about the same.

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  3. It's a big game. They're trying to get better. It's been a difficult season.

    Practice went well.

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  4. oh, what anticipa...

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  5. According to the past, this game should have been our hardest opponent and we should have played our best game yet...

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  6. Jay - Are you still scheduled for a Roundtable call at 1:30?

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  7. RHPS reference on LIVE- press conference thread...nice.

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  8. Don't forget, "we're facing a tough opponent this week"

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  9. It's 1:01pm! He's late!

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  10. maybe he's there, and Jay's computer won't tell us.

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  11. Since this is old news, it's probably been discussed, but...Why is it that a football player can be out with a broken nose, but a hockey, and even the notoriously wimpy basketball, player will play with such an injury. If they'd get helmets that actually fit, and strapped them properly, it shouldn't be a problem.

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  12. I'm already confused about billings. is he out? in?

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  13. Anonymous1:07 PM

    Jay---What are the odds you think AU beats UGA? How about Bama?

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  14. Is it just me or does practice always go well?

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  15. he's out, but has a better chance of playing than Merrill. TT Zen if I've ever seen it. Out, but maybe in. Look harder and you'll see less.

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  16. Whoooaaaa...Auburn was playing well until the first half of the Vandy game? Please tell me he's only talking defense.

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  17. Of course, In Tubs defense on all this stuff, what is he supposed to say? "Practice went poorly. I don't know how to tell you guys this, be we are so screwed. We are not good. Hopefully Georgia turns the ball over and we get some cheap scores. Other than that, we really can't beat these guys. Especially when you have crappy practices like the one today.

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  18. We haven't been very successful over there since (2005). It's good to have it here. In the past, the home team has lost this game.

    HUH????

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  19. no voodoo. that's all.

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  20. We should just play "Crank dat soldja boy" the whole game. That will secure us a win.

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  21. He doesn't always make perfect sense.

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  22. don't really care what coaches and everyone is"saying" just want to win the game........talking time is over!

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  23. I'm allegedly supposed to be on WMSP in a few moments, yes.

    What will I say? No idea.

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  24. Chances:

    AU over UGA: 35%
    AU over Alabama: 20%

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  25. Nothing new here. Just keep on moving on. Yada yada yada.

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  26. Micheal ... yes - old school coaches used to do that.

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  27. Michael- Have you ever seen a Lou Holtz press conference?

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  28. listening to the roundtable....where are you jay?

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  29. Yes, I realize coaches used to say stuff like that, but I prefer the vanilla approach. If you had a bad practice, tell it to the team, not the media. Don't show your hand too much for the game coming up. Vanilla. mmmmmmm. Vanilla good.

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  30. Peter, having broken my nose twice playing football , once in hs, once in college, i can truly say that if you really have a broken nose you can't play football with it. When making a block or tackle the pad on your forhead will be forced down across the nose and you will cry like a nancy boy and be unable to see forthe tears in your eyes and the blood doesn't do much to help breathing either. Hockey and basketball has less car crash like impact so hence the ability to play those games and avoid some contact, there's no avoiding contact for football players, unless you are on the sideline.

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  31. Tubs vanilla talked has really helped the last two years :)!

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  32. I think Auburn's theme song for the Georgia game should be that "Tootsie Roll" song from the 90's. They could make a dance to it and everything.

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  33. exactly michael! why would say glowing things about Kodi so they can plan to stop him...

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  34. saw amos at the faulkner game last night and wondered if the young girls waiting on him were the trivia girls...

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  35. I didn't watch the game last saturday, but by listening to the stats, I would play a spy on Burns and like my chances.

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  36. I'm going on there now...

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  37. WEG- If you heard non-stop giggling, that would be them.

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  38. Probably his groupies, WEG. ;-)

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  39. i'll be at the game but i am sure i won't be awake....i hate these early games

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  40. Remember Jay, it is HABOTN tradition to throw Monica under the bus in your radio appearance.

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  41. hahaha on the girls......that's what they reminded me of!

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  42. I see someone's whipping has worn off...

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  43. He hasn't seen the post count lately. Its higher than 800.

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  44. Anonymous1:45 PM

    Question Presented to Tuberville:Can a win salvage the season?

    Tuberville's Anser: " When you lose five games ... we don't do that very often."

    I'm not sure what he calls "often" but in ten seasons at Auburn, he's lost more than five games 4 times. That amounts to 40% of the time. Anyone who buys into his spin is clueless...

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  45. lol @ "to kiss him in a certain place"

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  46. Jay,

    You're absolutely right about the Alumni base...Winning cures a whole lot for Auburn.

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  47. Tim- You are not correct, he has not lost more than 5 games 4 times in his 10 years. He has only lost more than 5 years once and more than likely twice.

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  48. Jay,

    What do you mean the "way" they recruit? What about the procedures used in recruiting keep us from being a contender annually?

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  49. Anonymous1:48 PM

    And if you go back to his days at Ole Miss, he's lost 5 or more games 7 times in 14 seasons. That's 50% of the time. Other than 2004 and 2006, Tuberville has been nothing but smoke and mirrors and David Housel, BOT's and knowledgeable fans knew that after 2003. Fortunately for Tuberville, 2004 came along but he has been coasting on those fumes for 3 years now.

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  50. Anonymous1:49 PM

    that was the worst info press conference...zzzz..basically he said not much of anything...we need a spark...someone needs to dress as a bulldog and roll the campus or spraint pay symbolic auburn places on campus, that might help in trickery, (ref. see Robin Williams/Kirk Russel the Best of Times movies)

    This game isnt generating much buzz anywhere. The ajc had "0" articles, nothing nationally...

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  51. "Working as hard as he always has"- excellent line there.

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  52. oooooo monica...you made the roundtable!! hottest hottie out of WV!

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  53. So Amos has gone from hinting that he heard from a source that Tubs was waiting on his big buyout pay day to Tubs wants to come back and coach.

    I believe he wants to coach, why would he not.

    Monica- I think he is referring to the type of players he goes after versus Saban. We don't go on many head to head battles with Alabama. By the way, congrats on the shout out. I was looking forward to bus tracks :(.

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  54. wow - i really felt the love with that "in WV" shout out

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  55. I see the roundtable in the friends category...I'm waiting for some posts on HABOTN. We certainally do a good job of using their forum when are they going to use ours?

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  56. Wow...Monica receiving some serious air time...you go girl!!

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  57. WEG - "hottest hottie in WV" means the same thing as "he's working as hard has he always has"

    :-)

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  58. Dangit I've been commenting on the other post. Oh well.

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  59. Tim- You cannot compare what he did at Ole Miss. What he did at Ole Miss was flat out remarkable since the program was essentially put on a level of probation just above death penalty.

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  60. winning the game as remote....we need a little more love than that!

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  61. Wow, they do read this thing.

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  62. Why does Doug always have to be so violent, holding guns to everyone head?

    Where exactly does "some other dude" coach?

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  63. holy cow how can y'all read habton and be on the air at the same time???

    Doug, I don't email the show all the time. I'll accept occasionally.

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  64. Doug's calling you out Eddie!!

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  65. If Weis gets fired at ND, that makes it really tough for Auburn to do the same. I think Tubs is back next year.

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  66. Well I must say it is a good roundtable if Monica and I are not accused of being Bama fans

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  67. I agree that is talent being able to read comments, and host a radio show at the same time.

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  68. jay.....do you really know how much we love Auburn....

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  69. Jay just concurred!!

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  70. I think I should win some award for hottest hottie in WV. That means I have all my teeth.

    My mama would be so proud.

    oy vey

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  71. Whoo hoo we are a fun time!

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  72. Mon,

    Some advise when emailing never forward anything that someone else forwards you to John and Barry. Barry really took me to task this morning about sending the clip, "Wasted away again in tommy tuberville."

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  73. amos was checking things out on his i-phone during the game last night...i was sitting right behind him....the hotties got their daily shout-out!

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  74. lol Amen, Kristina! Didn't get called a bama fan today. Life is good.

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  75. What did they say Biscuitator?

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  76. WEG ... I have no idea what that means: How much you love Auburn?

    Auburn's chances of being Alabama are remote. Underdogs don't win that game very often.

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  77. Ok gang, I gotta go for a while. Check back in later...

    Great job, Jay, on roundtable!

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  78. LOL Biscuit - I've emailed the show maybe 4 times. Doug is trying to get me to email more. I'm on to him. ;-)

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  79. I believe the only time a losing team record has won the Iron Bowl, at least in modern day, was the year Van Tiffen kicked the 50 yarder to win the game in the 80's. Not sure of the year.

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  80. Monica ... that was a pretty definitive statement. You're definitely the hottest HOTTIE in West Virgina. That's an entire state.

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  81. I'm moving to Guam so I can be the hottest Hottie there.

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  82. The only Iron Bowls that I can remember with an underdog winning would be:

    1984 Alabama
    1985 Alabama
    1990 Alabama
    2001 Alabama
    2002 Auburn

    I think we were a slight favorite in 89 and 93 and a slight dog in 94, but I could have those wrong.

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  83. jay....for me an average fan...i am supporting and loving my team no matter what...i just like to be a positive person...doesn't mean i think they will always win just want them too....just rambling?

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  84. I'm going on a date now with the second hottest hottie in WV - catching an afternoon movie with Greg.

    Later hotties.

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  85. drinking the kool-aid always...it just hard this season....

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  86. Eddie,

    Bama had a winning record in the Van Tiffin game in 85.

    In 1984 (the Wrong Way Bo game) Alabama came in with a losing record and beat Auburn.

    I could be wrong, but I believe Alabama came into the 2001 Iron Bowl either 4-5 or 5-5 and won it as well.

    As far as I can remember we've never won the Iron Bowl with a losing record.

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  87. You can throw out the records when the Iron Bowl comes around!(unfortunately, you cannot throw out skill levels or coaching or athleticism or mental toughness)

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  88. You can also throw out coaches when the Iron Bowl comes around. I've seen it happen at or around Iron Bowl time a few times.

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  89. better get back to work......War Eagle!

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  90. RK, that could be the case, I don't remember much being that I was around 7 or 8 then.

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  91. I am not an expert on Iron Bow stuff, but trusted associate PMarsh says the only notable upsets he can remember (of recent note) were 84 and 01.

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  92. We were either 9 or 10 point underdogs in Tuscaloosa in 2002 starting Tre Smith at RB & Cooper Wallace at FB.

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  93. Anonymous2:20 PM

    Jay G., A question. On The Round Table you made reference to AU's offensive line being quick (more conducive to Franklin's system) but not big enough to power run (which they try to do now to some degree). They can't seem to block very well when they try to run some elements of "The Spread". What caused/causes that with and without Franklin.

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  94. Anonymous2:22 PM

    Georgia got killed by Florida, this is a fact. Auburn has a chance if the following things occur, and the following players duplicate the plays which the Florida guys did. Kodi=Tebow, Dunn-B. James, Lester=Harvin, Trott=Murphy. Now, I realize those guys from the Gators are much better athletes, however, nobody gave us much of a chance the past 2 years against the Gators, and we all know what happened. Yes, it is a long shot, it is an 11:30 game (Oh dear God, help us), and we have no identity, but who know what could happen. Stanford beats USC last year, Toledo beats Michigan, Western Ky beats Illinois, and Iowa beats Penn St; keep positive Hotties. (well, at least until halftime, if we have a lead.) Take care all, and yes, you can all destroy my theories. Do i think we will win? Yes, it is possible, not probable, but I will be pulling for our Tigers all the way. WDE!

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  95. I guess 1972 doesn't count as recent. Seems like yesterday to me.

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  96. Tim- I'm not Jay, but I believe the conditioning program for the Offensive Line was much different than previous years in that it was tailored more for endurance and required our linemen being more lean and quick versus the previous conditioning program that built for quick explosion so that the lineman could exploded into the defensive lineman and move them out of the way. We never ran the tempo that Tony Franklin wanted, but yet that was what we were built for this year. I see that as one of our biggest disadvantages when we fired Franklin and tried to switch to a power game. Football is year round, not just the fall.

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  97. I love it Bear, keep it up.

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  98. It is nice to see they are going to do the helmet sticker thing for Virgil Starks. As I started reading that paragraph, it occurred to me that that would be a good idea.

    I am surprised we won't have more players out for the UGA game. I think Tuberville was very accurate when he mentioned the first half of the Vandy game. At that point, I felt we had been remarkably injury free. That certainly changed.

    As for Georgia having problems with a running QB, I wouldn't look for us to have that same success. Georgia has to be addressing that issue this week. The only way I see us staying in this game is to have long drives with short gains basically shortening the game.

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  99. eddie4au, you bring up a very good point. It is part of why I don't think this offense can be as successful as Franklin was early on, which wasn't very.

    Hopefully they can find a way to take advantage of what Franklin did bring. At this point it is hard to see how the offense can be tweaked to be a power running game.

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  100. In keeping with my Veteran's Day theme. I am waiting for this from one of CTT's press conferences (stolen from the Caine Mutiny)

    Lt. Commander Francis Queeg (Coach Tommy Tuberville): (Rolling steel balls in his hand while testifying) Ahh, but the strawberries that's, that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with ... geometric logic ... th-that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox did exist, and I'd have produced that key if they hadn't pulled the Caine out of action. I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officer ... (Pause as he stops in realization) Naturally I ... I can only cover these things from memory. If I've left anything out, why ... just ask me specific questions and ... I'll be glad to answer them ... one by one. (He continues to roll the steel balls)

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  101. Anonymous2:40 PM

    The Gridiron Breakdown makes its mid-week and terrestrial radio debut tonight!

    7:30 p.m. CST on 1300am WTLS
    You can listen ONLINE as well.

    Thank for your support.

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  102. Anonymous2:44 PM

    Adrian Karsten of ESPN:
    "It was my privilege to work the Auburn - Georgia game. When you see men and women shedding tears during the Tiger Walk, that is what college football is all about. As I made the turn in the Tiger Walk, and the band was there, well, if you can't get yourself up for a football game at that point, then something is wrong. When I walked toward the locker room, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life....football in the South is one thing., football at Auburn is something else."

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  103. Anonymous3:18 PM

    whew Adrian Karsten of ESPN, blast from the past, the old suspenders guy, killed him self suicide.

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  104. Anonymous3:38 PM

    eddie4au you mentioned that we don't go head to head in recruiting with alabama. Don't you think we should. Either bama's coach's do a heck of a job or some of these kids were studs straight out of high school. I just don't remember a true freshman since carnell making a big impact for us. We have had some o-line start as freshman but not so much at skill positions. Frenchy might have been one this year if not for the injury.

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  105. Hey Jay. Can you ask them if they will try and let Tristan Davis score some touchdowns from the backfield instead of starting in the end zone?

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  106. Wait, wait, wait,

    Did Tommy Tubeville Actully know what the Soulja Boy was? Jay you didn't ask him to demonstrait?

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  107. better yet, does he know what the meaning of that song is???

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  108. ...and has he ever done that???


    That'd be asking the tough questions.

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  109. Anonymous11:16 AM

    The "Iron Bowl" began when the series was resumed in 1948.

    In 1949, AU (or more accurately, API) came into the game with a 1-4-3 record. Against all odds, the Tigers pulled off a 14-13 upset of the 6-2-1 Crimson Tide.

    In the 48 seasons since, AU has come into the IB with a .500 or worse record eleven times.

    And we are 0-11 in those games.

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