<p>Who could have imagined Tommy Tuberville in this position? Yet there he was Friday, standing alongside the Southeastern Conference championship trophy, posing for pictures and undoubtedly chuckling a bit on the inside.</p><p>"You could make a movie script out of this," Tuberville said, trying to suppress a grin, "and no one would believe it."</p><p>Indeed, it was a little more than a year ago that Auburn was preparing Tuberville's pink slip. Top school officials even conducted a clandestine interview with Louisville's Bobby Petrino, gauging his interest in becoming the Tigers' next coach.</p><p>But the way the whole situation was handled _ Petrino was interviewed just days before Auburn played its biggest rival, Alabama _ led to a backlash against the school's president (who quit) and athletic director (who announced his retirement).</p><p>Tuberville stayed. Now, just one year removed from that ugly ordeal, he's probably more secure than any employee on the Auburn campus.</p><p>The third-ranked Tigers (11-0) have put together one of the greatest years in school history, claiming a spot in Saturday's SEC championship game against No. 15 Tennessee (9-2).</p><p>"It's been an emotional year," Tuberville said. "But that week we spent in November 2003 _ where it was up or down whether I would be back, with all the trauma the players went through trying to get ready for the Iron Bowl _ I think that enhanced this group. They grew up. They learned to overcome adversity."</p><p>Last year, Auburn was picked to challenge for the national championship, but didn't come close to meeting that lofty goal. The Tigers lost their first two games and never recovered, settling for a spot in the Music City Bowl.</p><p>"It kind of humbled us as a team and kind of made us realize we're going to have to work hard for everything we get," running back Ronnie Bowl said.</p><p>Hanging on to their coach but losing several key defensive players, the Tigers faced more reasonable expectations coming into this season. They started out below the radar _ No. 17 in the first Associated Press poll _ but began their upward push with impressive victories over LSU and Tennessee.</p><p>"Coach Tuberville certainly deserves something like this," Brown said. "He told us he was going to handle it and he really did a good job of that. That just gives you an example of what kind of leader he is."</p><p>Beating Georgia and Alabama to close the regular season, Auburn feels it has made a persuasive case for playing in the national championship game.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Tigers, they are projected to be the odd team out unless either No. 1 Southern Cal or No. 2 Oklahoma loses this weekend. Both scenarios are extreme longshots _ USC is a 23-point favorite against crosstown rival UCLA, while Oklahoma is a 22-point pick to beat Colorado in the Big 12 championship game.</p><p>If the Tigers beat Tennessee but don't get any help, they'll probably settle for a spot in the Sugar Bowl against the winner of Saturday's Miami-Virginia Tech game.</p><p>"It's disappointing," Tuberville said. "An 11-0 season happens once or twice in the lifetime, if you're lucky. But most of the talk has been about polls and rankings, rather than what we have accomplished."</p><p>That said, the Auburn coach didn't pass up a chance for some last-minute lobbying. He hopes enough voters _ either in the media or among his coaching colleagues _ will change their ballots and give the Tigers a chance to pass either the Trojans or the Sooners in the BCS standings.</p><p>"It's not who you played or how high you were ranked at the beginning of the year," Tuberville said. "I think the voters should look at all three teams and vote with their hearts."</p><p>But, in a sport where subjectivity rules, even Tuberville struggled to come up with a voting standard that would satisfy everyone. He talked vaguely about ranking the teams based on who's playing best at the end of the season, even though that could bring even more teams into the mix.</p><p>"Just because you're undefeated," Tuberville conceded, "doesn't mean you're 1 or 2 in the country."</p><p>Tennessee is playing a supporting role in this whole affair, a two-touchdown underdog that isn't given much of a chance to win the SEC title. The Volunteers already lost to Auburn 34-10 _ at Neyland Stadium, no less _ and they'll have to go with their third-string quarterback this time.</p><p>Rick Clausen was pushed into a starting role when freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer went down with injuries.</p><p>"No one expected this from us," coach Phillip Fulmer said. "We've had to be very resilient just to get to this point."</p><p>But, as the Vols know firsthand, there are no guarantees at this time of year.</p><p>Three seasons ago, Tennessee needed to win the league championship for the chance to play Miami for the national championship. The Vols were a big favorite against LSU, but the Tigers spoiled the Rose Bowl plans with a 31-20 upset.</p><p>And _ could this be an omen? _ LSU won that game with its backup quarterback.</p><p>"We're not going into this game to keep it close," Fulmer said. "We're going into this game to win."</p>
