HOOVER, Ala. — Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville admits his strong point isn’t X’s and O’s.

“I delegate authority,” Tuberville said Friday at the final day of SEC media days. “I hire people. If they get it done, we go on. If they don’t, we make a change. Because of that responsibility I give to them, I take more responsibility in other things, academics is one of those. I spend a tremendous amount of time in that.”

While his on-the-field credentials haven’t been questioned, Tuberville’s program is facing increased scrutiny for its academic activities.

A recent New York Times article focused on the large number of independent study courses taught by one Auburn sociology professor — particularly to athletes. The courses were in “directed-reading” courses, in which students meet privately with teachers instead of attending class.

Many of the players mentioned in the article were on the Tigers’ 2004 team that went undefeated but missed out on a chance to play in the BCS national championship game.

Earlier this season, Auburn’s academic programs were gaining accolades after the football team was in the top 10 percentile in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate statistics.

The school was the highest-ranked public institution among the six Bowl Championship Series conferences. Only Duke and Boston College — two private institutions — joined Auburn in that group among BCS conference schools.

The university’s internal investigation, which was expected to be over well before the season, could now stretch out for another month, Auburn interim president Ed Richardson said recently.

Tuberville said that while he hoped the issue would go away quickly, he also welcomed the scrutiny.

“If we’re doing something wrong, please look at us and tell us,” Tuberville said. “I promise you, we’ll change it. We’re going to do things right.”

Of the 98 football players Auburn has graduated in the past three years, Tuberville estimated that 15 came from the sociology department.

“You want to make sure they get a degree in what they want to get one in,” Tuberville said. “We don’t pick them for them. ... Whether it’s sociology or pre-med, it’s up to them. We don’t make those decisions for them.”

The Auburn media guide lists eight players whose major is sociology. One — sophomore offensive lineman Andrew McCain — is listed as pre-med.

Senior receiver Courtney Taylor is a business marketing major. He said the academic allegations swirling around the school — and the football program in particular — have been a distraction, but shouldn’t affect the Tigers as they prepare for their opener Sept. 2.

“Not at all,” Taylor said. “I like to tell people if you come to my house, tattoo on my door, ‘Sept. 2, Washington State.’

“That’s all that matters right now.”

Linebacker Will Herring said the investigation has been taxing.

“Me personally, knowing the guys that their names are being thrown out there, it kind of hurts me,” Herring said. “Because from top to bottom, the Auburn staff and the team, they’re like family.

“It does hurt but when you’re on top, when you’re doing good, when you’re successful, the higher you are the more people want to see you fall. All this is going to pass over.”

Taylor and Herring each defended their coaching staff and school as emphasizing academics as well as athletics.

“You’re a student-athlete (at Auburn),” Taylor said. “Coach Tuberville and his staff do a great job of pushing us to be student-athletes.”

Other SEC coaches addressed the Auburn investigation Friday.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said his staff has discussed academics and planned to speak with the players about the situation at Auburn when the players report.

LSU coach Les Miles said the issues that brought Auburn’s academic program into question were not present at LSU.

“I can tell you that there are a number of issues there that need scrutiny and watching,” Miles said. “I don’t think that exists on our campus.

“I promise you at our place there’s a great emphasis placed on our young men’s academics.”

Arkansas wide receiver Marcus Monk said Wednesday that he’d never taken an independent study course.

In the preseason media predictions released Friday, Auburn was the overwhelming favorite to win not only the Western Division, but also the overall SEC championship.

Now, the Tigers have one more obstacle to overcome to live up to those expectations.