Random Thoughts...

By Jay Coulter
Football Saturday In The South
Here are some of my random thoughts as we head toward winter workouts on the Plains...

• A week after losing to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl it still stings. What a shame that Tommy Tuberville could put together such a masterful follow-up to last year’s championship season, only to field the worst prepared team in his tenure as Auburn coach. Still the year was a success. As my friend David Hart put it, “If you had told me (before the start of the season) that we would win nine games and beat Georgia and Alabama I would have taken it in a minute.” I couldn’t agree more.

• I have never seen a program win 10 games in a season and its fans still see the year as a failure. That’s certainly how most Alabama people that I talk with feel about their season. Come to think of it, this happened in 1989 when a team coached by Bill Curry finished the year with 10 wins. You know what happened to him.

• Brandon Cox was the biggest surprise of the year. Everyone knew he had potential but after watching him play against Kentucky in 2004 I had real reservations about how this kid could throw and lead.

• The jury is still out on David Gibbs. He had a tremendous year and the Alabama game plan was perfect. But something about his leadership still bothers me. And from talking with others I’m not alone. With a year under his belt he still has much to prove. He has a tall task ahead next year working with our defensive line and secondary. It will be a better test of his abilities.

• I sure hope David Irons comes back for another season. He was playing as well as anyone in the country at the end of the year. It’s likely he could finish next season an All-American.

• I’m really looking forward to opening 2006 with Washington State. I hope Jay Jacobs locks in more marquee games with other conferences. Despite losing to USC and Georgia Tech I sure enjoy playing big non-conference games.

• I hope Auburn’s SID department touts Kenny Irons as a Heisman Trophy contender. With the preseason hype he’s sure to get and an impressive opening weekend against Washington State, he will be thrust on to the national scene very quickly.

• A question for you? Will Tre Smith see any significant action during his senior season?

• Finally, thanks to everyone who has visited this season and a special thanks to those who have emailed. This season at FSITS has been great fun. I hope you continue to stop by as we head toward college football’s dead time. My goal is to keep it alive and well here at Football Saturday In The South.

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