for The Bleacher Report
Vanderbilt, which does NOT run Tony Franklin's Undefeatable Patented Offensive System©, remained undefeated by beating Auburn 14-13.
“We don’t run Tony Franklin’s spread offense,” Tuberville said. “This is Auburn’s offense. It’s like our defense. We’re going to run what works and what we’re going to match up better with the other team. Everybody has to do that. You can’t put a square peg in a round hole. Why would you do that?”
"It takes 100 percent commitment to run the spread offense because you have to practice it daily plus run it in your offense. We have been doing this for years," Said Coach Hortmann, whose high school team runs the spread offense, "let Franklin run the offense or get yourself another Offensive Coordinator. Let Franklin go elsewhere where the spread is appreciated."
"I live in Alabama and I attended the game between Auburn and Tennessee. I also am a OC for a high school football team that runs the system." Said another coach, "From what I have seen this year from Auburn, this is not the system. It seems to me that Franklin is getting told what to run on offense. Tuberville wants to run the ball to set up the pass and Franklin likes to set up the run with the pass. I never saw any hurry up offense from Auburn at this weeks game. I saw the freeze quite a bit, but they never got into a hurry up mode. Franklin has said that to be sucessful in this offense you must be good at the screens, and get a lot of snaps (maybe like 80) on offense. I dont think I have seen but maybe 4 screens all year and I don't think they are close to getting 80 snaps.At the high school level we have been getting 70 snaps. That is with us slowing down in the 4th so we dont run up the score."
Kodi "Blunt" Burns Career Stats: 20 completions out of 50 attempts for 224 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
"We've got to figure something out," Burns said. "This … man, I don't know. This isn't the Auburn I saw when I was recruited. This isn't the Auburn I saw last year. I don't what's going on."
"This is a tough loss," receiver Rod Smith said. "Everybody's hurt right now. Just to come out and play so well on offense and drive down the field and put up points and then just watch it disappear like that, it's hurting us right now."
"We've got to turn it around," Tuberville said. "We'll go back and we'll look at it and see who's healthy."
"I don't know what we are right now: spread, old Auburn offense," Smith said. "I'm just really confused right now. Everybody's confused. Everybody's hurting and speechless and confused. We just have to go back to work (today) and whatever changes coach Tuberville makes, we just have to go with that."
"Guys are confused because this isn't Auburn — just watching on the sideline and seeing this offense put up 13 points," Burns said. "We're capable of putting up 35 or 40 a game. That's why guys are confused. We're not producing like we should be. A lot of guys are confused. We are a team. We're looking out for each other. Nobody is pointing fingers, but a lot of us are talking about how we've got to figure something out. We can't keep going out like this."
"A lot of guys are upset because we should be putting up more points than this," Burns said. "This is unacceptable. You can't play in the SEC and put up 13 points and expect to win. All we can do is get better. We can't really take a step back from this point. I guess that's the good thing. All we can do is improve."
You're not going to sneak up on people by being a "spread" team. It just doesn't happen anymore. People have seen it, kids have played against it for years, and there's not going to be a scheme advantage. So the learning curve is steep since it involves learning the system and getting the players, like anything else. So the spread is in a tough bind, because it gets sold as a quick fix, but it's not. It's just another offense you can run, and it needs to be well coached and you need players. There's at least fifty major college teams running some a good deal of spread, if not more. How different is it then to be spread?
When asked if the changes would be drastic, Smith said it would "probably will be drastic changes.” We need to get back to old Auburn football,'" said Smith.
ESPN reported that Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville told his team following Saturday's loss to Vanderbilt that changes were coming on offense. How in the name of Toomer's Corner did the Tigers get to this point after being such a successful tailback-oriented, power football team under Tuberville the last few years? The spread is clearly not the answer, at least not the version of the spread the Tigers have tried to run under first-year coordinator Tony Franklin.
Chris Todd Career Stats: 83 completions out of 146 attempts for 885 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Franklin was not allowed to speak with reporters following the loss to Vanderbilt, nor was defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads.
"How do we continue this downward spiral without making some drastic changes? What are the real problems with this Auburn football team? Can the Auburn men and women continue to trust Coach Tuberville? Is Tuberville only a one hit wonder with the remarkable 2004 team?" Asks The Bleacher Report's Deric Winslett. "There are too many questions to answer. We the fans have zero power to do anything about it. What—start-up a Fire Tuberville.com website? The Auburn players should not be blamed. This season’s failures thus far fall squarely on the coaches. Every coach on the sideline bares responsibility for the loss to Vanderbilt. With some last minute hope to salvage what is left of this terrible first half of the 2008 season, some changes may be on the way and I mean soon."
"These guys are professionals," Tuberville said. "They're all in it together."
Tuberville said Sunday that changes to the offensive staff were "not even talked about."
He said Franklin works harder and is more disappointed than anyone about the offense's poor performance.
"He takes probably more blame than he should," Tuberville said.
Tuberville said adjustments to the Tony Franklin System have not been foisted upon the coordinator: "It's all him. He's the one making the changes."
Welcome to The Hot Seat, Tubby.
