The Alabama-Auburn football game is one of college football’s most renowned rivalries, with a deep history and intense background.
“That’s going to be a game the whole state, us, Auburn, pour everything into,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said at the SEC coaches teleconference on Nov. 20, “Just such great history over the many years. It’s a big game.”
Ever since the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 22, 1893, there has rarely been a dull moment in this fight for the state of Alabama. Auburn University claimed the title of this historic first meeting and named it as the beginning of the 1893 season; however, the Crimson Tide claimed it was the end of the ‘92 season. This first meeting began with a disagreement, setting the stage for decades.
However, the feud was placed on hold from 1907 to 1948. During this time, rumors emerged that the two colleges could not continue their meetings due to increasing and even unsafe tensions between the teams and their fanbases. In reality, the schools could not successfully reach contractual agreements.
After the series was revived in 1948, it was played annually at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, until 1989, when the teams began to alternate hosting each year.
Since then, the rivalry has featured some of college football’s most iconic moments, including the “Camback” of 2010, Auburn’s “Kick Six” in 2013 and, most recently, Jalen Milroe’s 4th-and-31 pass, “The Gravedigger”, which paved the way for the Crimson Tide’s Rose Bowl appearance last season.
Some of the sport’s most famous players and coaches have competed in the Iron Bowl, including Heisman winners Cam Newton, Derrick Henry and Bryce Young, and coaching legends Paul “Bear” Bryant, Nick Saban and James Ralph “Shug” Jordan.
Alabama holds a 50-37-1 all-time advantage against the Tigers currently dominating the series, winning eight of the last 10 matchups.
However, stats mean nothing about the competition behind this rivalry. With the pressure on and the state dialed in, it is impossible to forecast the outcome of this game perfectly.
“I know in rivalry games, things are always going to be very competitive, and I don’t think records or any of that stuff really matters when it comes to what happens in this game,” then-head coach Nick Saban said at a press conference before last year’s game.
Alabama will host the Iron Bowl on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game can be watched on ABC.
