There is a saying that goes way back. Across the decades it has often been used when Alabama Football and the Auburn Tigers play. Not unique to the Tide and Tigers rivalry, its overuse has faded, but the idea embedded in the saying is repeated every season. The old phrase is when two rivals meet, ‘you can throw out the record books.’ As in a game will be so intensely competed, anything and any result could happen.
Such a presumption has rarely ever matched the outcome of Iron Bowl football games. There have been upsets, of course, and when there are, they are often stunning. But the history of the 85-game series between Alabama and Auburn has been dominated by the reality that the favorite wins a high percentage of the games.
History of the Tide and the Tigers: The Early Years
There is zero reason to believe Saturday’s game in Jordan-Hare Stadium will be any different. The Auburn Tigers are in a downward spiral, without much hope for improvement. Many Auburn fans dread Saturday’s game. Some try to joke that a forfeit is a more appealing prospect.
Auburn has become one of the SEC’s worst teams. Check out Auburn message boards and they are filled with deep doubt Bryan Harsin can ever make the Tigers a winner. Some Aubies hope another school will hire Harsin soon and bail out the Auburn program.
Auburn’s next season prospects are even bleaker. Recruiting for Auburn’s 2022 class is dreadful. Harsin is being out-recruited by Mark Stoops and Eli Drinkwitz, not to mention the coaches at the top SEC programs. Auburn could well end up having the 12th or 13th rated class in the SEC.
Some Alabama Football vs. Auburn Recent History
Back to the misguided premise that records of the rivals do not matter. Let’s review what has happened since Auburn won the 2010 National Championship. Yes, that season, when college football’s best player came to Auburn after a large cash ‘contribution’ to his father’s church.
Auburn has won three Iron Bowls since then. One was the 2013, 109-yard, missed field goal return touchdown, 34-28 Auburn victory. The second was in 2017 when a mistake-plagued Tide, with an ineffective passing attack, was on the short-end of 26-14. The third was a 48-45 loss in 2019 when two Mac Jones passes were intercepted and returned for touchdowns.
The point is in those three Tide losses, Auburn was not the favorite but was a ranked team. It was highly ranked at No. 4 in 2013 and No. 6 in 2017. In the Tide’s eight wins during the 11-season interval, it was always the favorite and never won by less than double-digit points.
Check out the Tide vs. Tigers series record here.
Outside of fluke results, the favorite nearly always wins the Iron Bowl. It will not be any different for Alabama Football and Auburn on Saturday.