Alabama Football: Are they eating too many miracle berries on the Plains?

For Alabama Football it is Kentucky week with a Saturday morning tussle coming up in Lexington. Crimson Tide fans are entitled to celebrate the win over LSU a bit more before we turn our attention to Mark Stoops’ Wildcats.

During a relaxed Sunday, I noticed some new oddness pertaining to the Auburn football program. It has been a tough season for Auburn fans. False hopes of an immediate turnaround being provided by Hugh Freeze have faded into stress that a loss to Arkansas on Saturday would put the Tigers into a must-win situation against New Mexico State to become bowl-eligible.

The Aggies from New Mexico are not very good, but they have stumbled to a not-embarrassing 7-3 record. Auburn should easily win by three touchdowns, but easy and Auburn Football is only a recollection of an earlier, different Auburn program.

Alabama football fans never tire of hearing how bad things are in Auburn. Just how bad you ask? For one, a couple of weeks ago after UCF had lost a fifth straight game under Gus Malzahn, rumors circulated. One rumor was with UCF, then at 3-5 in Malzahn’s third season, that Malzahn’s status with UCF was shaky.

The rumor may have had no basis, but it led to a far-fetched scenario from some Auburn fans that a fired Malzahn should be immediately hired to be Auburn’s Offensive Coordinator. The Aubies are certainly unhappy with OC Phillip Montgomery. But why does it matter who the Auburn OC is, because Hugh Freeze is labeled an Offensive Guru?

Furthermore, the suggestion was laughable because Malzahn would never return to Auburn as an assistant and because Freeze would not want him.

More recently another illogical idea has bubbled up on the Plains. Justin Alcaide, writing for Fly War Eagle suggested Auburn should relegate itself. Relegate means from one league, down to a less competitive league.

"… it may be time for the Tigers to do the unthinkable: relegate themselves and leave the SEC for a smaller conference."

The smaller conference suggested by Alcaide is the ACC. Alcaide seems convinced the future for the Tigers in the SEC is as an ‘also-ran’ program that might even become a “bottom feeder.”

Even if such a move made sense competitively to move to a weaker conference, it makes no sense financially. ACC team payouts are going to be $20M to $30M less than what Auburn will get in the SEC.

All of this leads to an explanation for miracle berries being included in the title of this post. Alcaide mentioned the berries in his story. I am wondering if an overdose of them can induce delusions powerful enough to think Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn have a future, coaching together in the ACC.

Auburn has long been known as a ‘little brother’ to Alabama Football in the state of Alabama. ‘Little brother’ got a small boost on Saturday from beating Vanderbilt. Auburn now leads the series with Vandy at 22-21-1.

Another recent rumor that may have some basis is Malzahn being reported to be a top candidate for Arkansas if the Razorbacks part ways with Sam Pittman.