SZVETITZ COLUMN: Tuberville should be allowed to stay

It’s over.

Way over. Mercifully.

Alabama 36. Auburn ... not even close.

The Streak, struck. It was inevitable. Especially this year.

Unlucky No. 7.

Unlucky 2008.

Unquestionably disappointing.

Tommy Tuberville suffered his first loss to Alabama in seven years.

Will he survive this week?

He should.

He says he wants to. He’s ready. He’s “committed.”

But is he, really? And will Auburn let him?

It should.

Being 7-3 — 6-1 in the last seven season — against the team “you have to beat” should have its perks. And keeping your job should be one of them. That, and some nice t-shirts.

But this is college football. And this is the SEC, in case you forgot. Janet Jackson’s “What have you done for me lately” is still the No. 1 song in this world. And it’s on repeat.

And all Tuberville and his Tigers did this year was win five games. Oh, and lose seven.

No bowl game. Just bad games.

Just bad.

“Just been a tough year,” Tuberville said.

There’s no doubt the blame falls on the head coach.

It’s Tuberville’s job to put his team in position to compete every week. But some of his decisions made it almost impossible for them to do that.

Tuberville stepped in it with the whole Tony Franklin debacle. He admitted that much. 

“I put them in a very tough situation in what I did this year starting out with offense,” Tuberville said after Saturday’s loss. “It’s totally my fault. I made that mistake. It’s not theirs. We just never recovered from it as the season went on on offense.”

Tuberville put his team in third-and-very long, and the Tigers were never able to get out of it. Actually, Auburn turned it over. A few times.

That’s on Tuberville. No question.

But so is Auburn’s 85 wins since 1999. And the perfect 2004 season. And eight consecutive bowl games. Those are all on Tuberville, too.

I know, in the background, you still hear that song. What has Tuberville done lately? The answer? Not much.

But is he the only coach expected to not have a bad year? Is one bad season — although very bad — enough to overlook eight pretty good ones?

That’s the question Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs and president Jay Gogue have to figure out, if they haven’t already.

We’ll know shortly.

Tuberville will have his sit-down with the powers-that-be Tuesday or Wednesday, if not sooner. Then, we’ll have an answer.

Tuberville gave his Saturday evening.

“I’m committed to getting it done,” Tuberville said.  “I’m looking forward to the challenge. 

“If I didn’t think I couldn’t do it, I’d be the first one to tell the Auburn people.”

In the meantime, we’ll wait to see what Jacobs and Gogue tell Tuberville.