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Shula's day of reckoning

ATLANTA — When it comes to college football, no program has a richer history than Alabama.

But when the Crimson Tide host bitter rival Auburn this weekend, coach Mike Shula has a chance to make history 'Bama fans would just as soon forget.

No Tide coach in the past 100-plus years has ever lost to Auburn four times in a row. Barring an upset Saturday, Shula is set to become the first.

That's not what Shula needs as fans hanging on to memories of the Bear Bryant days question whether the fourth-year coach is the right man for the job.

"It's extremely tough and people seem to be overreacting to some degree," said Gene Stallings, who coached Alabama to a national title in 1992. "I just hope for Mike's sake that they win this game on Saturday. They need to. I don't think his job security hinges on it. But his peace of mind probably does."

If Auburn wins Saturday's Iron Bowl, it will be the Tigers' fifth straight in the series. That has happened only one other time (1954-58) in the 70-game history between the two teams.

Alabama is in the throes of a fall to forget. The Tide are 2-5 in the SEC play and lost 24-16 at home to Mississippi State. Some fans want the school to sack Shula; others have been more forgiving, especially after last year's 10-2 season.

"You could say that it's a fluid situation," said Paul Finebaum, who hosts the state's most popular sports radio talk show. "After the Mississippi State game, people were ready to get rid of him. Then after the LSU [loss], people were calling in and actually taking solace in the fact that Alabama played well and gave LSU a game. I put my ear to the glass to see if Coach Bryant was rolling over in his grave."

Shula, a former Tide quarterback in his first head coaching assignment, has received public support in recent weeks from Stallings, President Robert Witt and athletics director Mal Moore. Even some members of the Auburn camp say it would be short-sighted of Alabama to make a change at this time.

"Mike inherited a mess over there and everyone knows it," said former Auburn coach Pat Dye, once an Alabama assistant under Bryant. "Those kids over there have been though a lot and it would be foolish to start over. Now, Auburn is my team but I know what's right."

Shula, the son of NFL legend Don Shula, took over at one of the lowest points in Alabama football history. In 2002, the program was hammered by severe NCAA sanctions. Coach Dennis Franchione bolted to Texas A&M after two years, and Mike Price never made it to his first game because of a personal scandal. That's when Shula, at age 37, walked in.

"He basically had 3 1/2 weeks to get his first team ready," said Eli Gold, the Tide's longtime radio voice. "I don't care if you're Don Shula or Vince Lombardi, that is very difficult to do."

But Shula's critics come armed with numbers. Despite last year's Cotton Bowl team, they point out that Shula is 2-13 against Alabama's four biggest rivals (Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee). And that his Tide are 0-18 in games they trailed going into the fourth quarter.

Alabama will likely go to a bowl this season, but only one of its six wins has come against a team with a winning record (Hawaii). The combined record of the other five teams Alabama beat is 9-40.

Shula supporters say patience is required and will be rewarded. Alabama finally has its full complement of 85 players on scholarship since the NCAA sanctions.

"It has not been an easy year, but this team is just a few plays away from having nine wins," Gold said. "It is a well-coached team that battles every week. And I expect them to battle again on Saturday."

Tony Barnhart writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.