Auburn vs Alabama Rivalry

Auburn vs. Alabama

What makes a rivalry great?  Every rivalry has intense games, longstanding traditions, etc- but what makes them truly great?

For Auburn vs. Alabama it rolls back to a longstanding knack of not getting along.  The two are the only big schools in the state; there are no professional squads.  It would seem like the two are a Natural choice.  The fact that they can’t agree on a darn thing only helps.

Their knack for disagreeing halted the big game for about 40 years.  Prior to the 1908 game the two teams had a hard time agreeing on how much the pier diem would be and how many players the visiting team would bring.  The arguments got heated to the point where the game was cancelled- all because of a $34 difference Auburn vs. Alabama was no more! 

Supposedly Auburn wanted an unbiased “Northern” man to be the game’s official.  Attempts were made again the following year but neither team could agree on when they would play.  Auburn refused to play in 1911 and told Alabama no again in 1923.  The reason? University officials were afraid that the other games would not matter as much if the two universities played.  Someone forget to tell them that that is what a rivalry is supposed to be.

Some memorable moments during the rivalry include:

·         Coaching great Bear Bryant passed Amos Alonzo Stagg as the winningest coach in history in 1981 by beating Auburn 28-17.

·         Auburn made an amazing comeback in the ’72 game by blocking two punts within the final six minutes, recovering each for a touchdown to win 17-16.

·         Alabama grads ran ads during the ’78 governor election that found former Auburn player Fob James running for office.  The ads said, “Do you really want a former Auburn player in the governor’s mansion?”

·         Bear Bryant once reportedly said, “I’d rather beat the cow college once than Texas ten times.”

Auburn won the rivalries first contest in 1893 32-22.  Alabama won the first contest once the rivalry was renewed in 1948, 55-0.  Alabama holds the series lead 38-33-1 in the now annual Iron Bowl, but Auburn has won the last six games.  Auburn has been a power house in recent years, with Alabama falling on hard times.  With Nick Saban taking over the reins at Alabama, the Auburn vs. Alabama game is sure to turn back into a classic once again.

About Us