The 2009 Auburn Tigers

WTF Auburn fans? First, you strangely decide to make your mascot the Tiger while you have a much cooler and historical War Eagle in the wings. Next, you fire one of the top coaches in the nation - one that brought you out of SEC mediocrity - after one losing season.

Tommy Tuberville was basically fired for hiring a drastic change in offensive mentality with coordinator Tony Franklin, who was deemed "master of the spread" before the start of the 08 season. Auburn smash-mouth football was going to be replaced with a big-time passing game, which obviously would require as much time to install as hiring a completely new coaching staff. Hence, a 5-7 season.

Instead of waiting it out, Tiger fans got super-pissed and called for first Franklin's head (the Auburn rivals.com site actually FEATURED a video of a fan heckling Franklin and his family as he packed his car to leave the practice complex) and eventually Tommy Tuberville after the enormous loss in the Iron Bowl to undefeated arch-rival Alabama. As if the Tigers stood a chance.

So, what has happened since the firing? Auburn turned to famed defensive coordinator, not so famed head coach Gene Chizik, who posted 5 wins in 2 seasons with the Iowa State cyclones. Analysts even went so far as to claim that the team was showing no signs of improvement during those 2 years. Chizik was defensive coordinator at Auburn for a year or so before moving on to Iowa State - this fact seems to be his saving grace for the hire at Auburn. Or maybe it was a desperate move to quiet a rabid fanbase.

Chizik went to Minnesota and snagged D-coordinator Ted Roof, who had drastically improved the Gophers defense in his one year with the squad. This was perhaps Auburn's best gain from the new staff, as Chizik then picked up Gus Malzahn from Tulsa as O-coordinator. Why is this an interesting hire?

Well, for starters, he has often been called "master of the spread" after his years at Tulsa, and once again the team does not have the tools to excel with a spread offense. Quarterback Kodi Burns is a decent runner and below-average passer, struggling to complete 50% of his passes last season. He will struggle again this year, along with tailback Ben Tate whose stocky build would equal a 1,000 yard season with any pro-style offense in the nation.

Further, Malzahn has been in the SEC before - with Houston Nutt and Arkansas - and had mediocre results, other than the huge numbers posted by then Heisman-candidate running back Darren McFadden. This hire will be the make-or-break of the Chizik experiment.

Word on the street is that the new staff at Auburn has "energized" the fanbase and is breathing life back into the program following last season's disappointment. Time will tell how much faith Tiger fans have after this season - Auburn should feel lucky if they even qualify for a bowl game.