Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville soon will be Republican U.S. Senator from Alabama Tommy Tuberville after Tuesday night's decisive victory over Democratic incumbent Doug Jones.
Tuberville is the first former Southeastern Conference football coach elected to the U.S. Senate, but will he be the last? Certainly Alabama's Nick Saban could name the score - he's proven quite adept at that - in any political realm within the Yellowhammer State, but he provided an emphatic "No" when asked Wednesday during the league's weekly teleconference if politics could be in his future.
Saban was even laughing at that thought before praising one of his former rivals.
"Tommy has always been someone who I've had a tremendous amount of respect for," Saban said. "We did compete against each other, but we've been really good friends for a long, long time, and I'm really happy for him. I think he'll do a really, really good job."
Tuberville's greatest accomplishment may not come politically but by what he did against Saban. As Auburn's coach from 1999 to 2008, Tuberville went 3-2 against Saban when Saban was at LSU, and the two split Iron Bowl meetings in 2007-08.
Auburn's 17-10 win over Alabama in 2007 marked Tuberville's sixth consecutive Iron Bowl triumph, the longest stretch of success by either program in the rivalry other than Paul "Bear" Bryant's nine straight victories over the Tigers from 1973 to 1981. Tuberville went 85-40 at Auburn with a 13-0 season in 2004, a 7-3 Iron Bowl record and a 4-3 mark against Saban.
Tuberville's last game at Auburn was a 36-0 loss in Tuscaloosa, but no SEC coach has experienced more success against Saban than the new senator.
"We've always tried to stay out of the political arena here just as a way of the world and the coaching profession," Saban said, "but I'm happy to see that he's going to have an opportunity."
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Vanderbilt seventh-year football coach Derek Mason has faced towering obstacles ever since he arrived in Nashville, beginning with the 37-7 home loss to Temple in the 2014 season opener.
Mason is the only Commodores coach to defeat Tennessee three straight seasons since the formation of the SEC in 1933, and he is the only coach other than predecessor James Franklin to guide the program to multiple bowl games. Yet Mason is also 10-42 against league opposition, which includes an 0-4 mark this season.
The Commodores returned from a coronavirus-related hiatus last week only to lose 54-21 to visiting Ole Miss, so is this his most challenging season as an SEC coach?
"Without a doubt, but I think everybody has been challenged this year," Mason said. "We've got roster challenges because of COVID challenges just like everybody else, and it's the same with injuries. We want the opportunity to compete and play, and every week is an opportunity to work towards a win.
"This group has had to refocus its efforts, and that has taken us a little longer to get in that position."
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LSU is licking its wounds during its off week after last Saturday's 48-11 loss at Auburn that saddled Ed Orgeron's Tigers with a 2-3 record.
Things could go from bad to worse with Alabama set to visit a week from Saturday.
"That offensive line they have is one of the best offensive lines I've seen in a long time," Orgeron said. "Najee Harris is a great back, and they've got skilled wide receivers. They've got a great system under Steve Sarkisian, who I've pretty much known my whole life. He's a great play caller.
"They're on track to have the same type of offense that we had last year."
AP file photo by David J. Phillip / LSU football coach Ed OrgeronPasquali's Pix
Florida vs. Georgia: How 2020 is a Cocktail Party that pits Stetson Bennett against Todd Grantham in front of 17,962 spectators? Bulldogs 27, Gators 20.
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State: When asked about the national election this week, Bulldogs coach Mike Leach said, "I think everybody should go vote. I think every seventh grade should go back to civics classes. Who in the world cancels civics? Bulldogs 30, Commodores 10.
Texas A&M at South Carolina: The Aggies entered November without an upset loss. That reflects the strangeness of 2020 as well. Aggies 31, Gamecocks 20.
Clemson at Notre Dame: This game has much larger Atlantic Coast Conference implications this weekend than Syracuse-Boston College. Tigers 27, Fighting Irish 24.
Rutgers at Ohio State: Ryan Day is 12-0 against Big Ten opposition as the head coach of the Buckeyes. Buckeyes 52, Scarlet Knights 7.
Tennessee at Arkansas: Jarrett Guarantano can even his head-to-head starting record against Feleipe Franks after the Volunteers lost badly to Florida in 2018. Vols 27, Razorbacks 19.
Other picks:
Miami 31, N.C. State 26
BYU 38, Boise State 31
Michigan 29, Indiana 28
USC 25, Arizona State 22
Texas 26, West Virginia 19
Virginia Tech 27, Liberty 10
Memphis 34, South Florida 15
North Carolina 33, Duke 14
Boston College 20, Syracuse 13
Cincinnati 32, Houston 27
Oklahoma 55, Kansas 6
Charlotte 28, MTSU 21
Penn State 40, Maryland 17
Florida State 24, Pittsburgh 23
Oregon 35, Stanford 20
Iowa State 41, Baylor 18
Winners - 18
Harbaughs - 6
Pasquali is now 100-38 overall (72.5%) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.