If Auburn could only knock 1 rival out of Playoff, which would you prefer: Georgia or Alabama?
The ultimate nightmare scenario became reality for all Auburn fans 2 years ago when the Tigers’ biggest rivals, Alabama and Georgia, played each other for the national title just a month after Gus Malzahn’s had beaten both when they were ranked No. 1.
The Bulldogs got revenge in the SEC Championship Game to earn their place in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide, not even the winners of their respective division in the SEC, took the last spot of the 4 among some major controversy.
Two years later, Kirby Smart and Nick Saban’s teams will come to The Plains with 1 loss — and 1 more defeat from being shut out of the Playoff. The best scenario for Auburn fans, obviously, would be to take down both and kill the dreams of the hated sides, but if they had to choose one and only one team to beat, which would the Tigers faithful pick?
The answer might be more complicated than you think.
The rivalry with Georgia has always been tense — remember the police hosing down UGA fans intruding the Jordan-Hare Stadium turf in 1986? — but in recent years it has become downright nasty. In 2007, the Bulldogs and Mark Richt brought out the black uniforms in the first Sanford Stadium “Blackout” in program history. It ended with the Dawgs dancing to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That,” a favor the Tigers would pay back exactly 10 years later.
In 2010, Nick Fairley and the Auburn defense made life difficult on Aaron Murray, with the fans chanting to the tune of “Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye” during the final minutes. Murray wasn’t exactly pleased with Fairley’s actions, calling him out for cheap shots.
“If he did that outside the football field, he’d have been in jail for 3 years,” Murray said. “That was actually the first time in my life I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to play football anymore.’ I’m not kidding, either. I was on the sideline and I had 6 stitches. My jersey’s covered in blood. I had a fractured sternum and can’t feel the left side of my body. I got whiplash in my neck, and I can’t really move my neck. I was like, ‘Is this really worth it? It’s my freshman year, I can quit now and save myself a lot of punishment.’ I had to sit up sleeping the next 2 weeks. I couldn’t even lay down. It was tough.”
Georgia fans called Auburn dirty. Tigers fans called the Bulldogs a bunch of cry babies.
And lest we forget the Miracle at Jordan-Hare in 2013 that ultimately ended with Murray, then a senior, getting blasted from the side by Dee Ford.
Or 2017, when Gus Malzahn was caught saying Auburn “whipped the Dawg-crap” out of Georgia, something Georgia players heard, stored and mocked when they won the rematch in Atlanta.
Gus Malzahn right after Auburn’s 40-17 win over Georgia: “We whipped the dog crap out of them, didn’t we?” (video from @LShute13) pic.twitter.com/aWwOUc5cmi
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 12, 2017
With the number of years almost to 40 since the Bulldogs last won a national title, Dawgs fans seem to grow more angry and impatient by the minute. It doesn’t help that Auburn, Florida and Tennessee have all won titles in the past 21 years.
But is the disdain Auburn fans have for the Dawgs more than they have for the Tide?
In some ways, the rivalry with Alabama rarely gets dirty on the field but thrives on the insanity off it. That insanity has helped make Paul Finebaum a wealthy man.
If you live in Birmingham or Montgomery or anywhere in the state, wouldn’t it be nice to walk into work, a restaurant or church the morning after the Iron Bowl and have the fact that the Tigers sent the Tide home without an invite to the College Football Playoff be nice?
Saban’s team has received the breaks before — 2011 and 2017 to be exact — and to finally put no doubt that he would be coaching in a (relatively) meaningless bowl game again would be rubbing salt in the wound just weeks after LSU got done putting a dent in the machine.
There’s nothing quite like beating Alabama that puts an extra step of the gait of an Auburn fan, but then again, with so many alumni that come from or live in the Peach State, the same can possibly be said for defeating those “damn dirty Dawgs.”
So which rival would Tigers fans rather knock out and keep from another appearance in the playoff?
You tell me. It’s much too close for me to make a choice.
Of course I am biased and prefer they beat UGA but I would guess Auburn fans agree only because UGA can still lose in the SECCG (or to Texas A&M) and still be out. There is a secondary to back up Auburn. There is no such scenario for Alabama
^prefer they *don’t*
I would prefer for them to beat ‘Bama and lose to GA. There is still the mathematical possibility for A&M to win the West, and this would be required.
I am not holding my breath though.
That’s a good one.
Not sure where you learned math.
If LSU and Alabama lose out, Auburn loses to UGA, and the Aggies win out, they win the West. Let’s go with, not likely.
That’s a stretch!
I gotta believe Aubie’s Bama Hate is greater than their Dawg Hate. Besides that factor, UGa is in the East… wouldn’t you prefer to beat a division rival, all else being equal?
Either way, I’ll be rooting for Auburn in the Iron Bowl. WDE
Why not both!?
The SEC is the best conference, and I would like to see us in the best bowl games. LSU will probably win the SEC championship over GA. That means GA will already have two losses. I hate to see weak Big 10 and Big 12 teams take over the better bowl slots. I would like to see Auburn beat Alabama. I don’t think they looked that sharp against LSU and I think people are underestimating Auburn at Jordan-Hare.
Ohio St looks pretty darn good.
Of course they do, they’re running off SEC leftovers in a weaker conference. I would wager that both LSU and UA could best Ohio. Auburn would give them a run for their money also if the LSU-Auburn game is any indication
Are you aware that Joe Burrow is an Ohio State leftover?
Yes I am, but I would equate that to Joe Burrow being an outlier, additionally, Joe didnt just show up this way in the SEC. He had to acclimate himself to the SEC environment before he became what he is today.
Bottom line, I’d bet anything that if Burrow was still at OSU, you wouldn’t even know his name.
Can we issue Ohio State an invitation to join the SEC, since they are so good and all
Anyone who knows anything about CFB would know the answer to this question.
It’s just like us and Florida. We would always rather keep Florida out of the playoff (mission accomplished!) than Auburn if given a choice. We hate Auburn, and Dirty Nick Fairly will always have a place in Hell waiting for him, but Florida is on another level of hate.
For Auburn fans, they hate us, but Bama is on another level of hate.
Honestly, the Iron Bowl is another level of hate that supersedes all other levels of hate. I wish every CFB team had a rivalry that could compare but they don’t, noone even comes close. CFB would be far more interesting in Nov if there were.
As you said, we hate UGA but us beating UGA would be stating that we’re coming for you Bama efore it would say anything about UGA
If I had to choose one, it’s got to be Bama. Everyone is tired of them backing into the playoffs/title game. UGA still has to play LSU. If they can win that, then they deserve it.
I would have to pick Bama also because here in the state, that game is so much more than a simple rivalry. To some fans, its the only game of the year that matters, not the CFP or the rankings, but bragging rights for a year instate.
bama, always bama. Out of all the other SEC teams besides Auburn, I would like to see UGA win a natty…it’s been a long long time for a program that talented…
Alabama
Honestly, I’m shocked. Hee hee
Auburn needs to crush the dreams of Georgia and Bama. Stand alone as the second best team in the SEC and lets see what happens.
That only happens with Devine intervention.
*Divine
Really? If Bama or Georgia played Au’s schedule this year either team already would have 2 losses.
Georgia plays Florida on a neutral field, doesn’t play LSU or Bama. So we will see. I just don’t see Georgia as the team their fans do.
This weekend they better button down their helmets because they haven’t played a D like what they are going to see in Jordan Hare.
Man that Aaron Murray recap got me heated
HaHaHaHa….
Father was a UF grad so I learned to hate UGA early in life. Live in Atlanta surrounded by UGA grads/fans. A victory this Saturday (happens to be my birthday!) would be a perfect way to celebrate. Angry Dawg fans are the best. Kirby = Richt2.0
I don’t guess there is much chance of Georgia or Alabama knocking Auburn out of much of anything since they won’t be in much of anything.
Keeping Alabama from winning a national championship is pretty much equal to winning one ourselves to Auburn fans.
That’s a lie..
Maybe for you.
Yes to me that is a lie and most auburn fans do not consider it “equal to winning a national championship ourselves when we knock bama our” that’s absurd.
Wow.. So beating Bama is your NC? That’s pathetic really when you consider all the games played throughout a season…
Is that why you post all your nonsense about Bama kody?
Honestly, if you told me I had to pick between us losing to Bama and still winning the national championship, or us beating Bama and keeping them from winning a national championship while we only win 7 or 8 games ourselves, I’d pick the option with no national championship for us in a heartbeat.
You’re crazy..
This made my head spin from stupidity. Explain exactly how AU goes 7-5 or 8-4 and a loss to UA means we go to the CFP and an eventual NC? I mean, the logic you use here is akin to down-syndrome.
That’s not what he said..
What is this winning an SEC game? I am not clear on what you are talking about
Better days are coming for your program.
Holy crap, tx_hogfan. I think you just won the internet!
As soon as ARK gets onboard the Gus Bus, life will be grand! Please!
Here is one of the ways that the SEC sticks together. I think every SEC fan is hurting for Arky. No SEC Team deserves to suffer the fate that they have endured over the past 2 seasons. It just stands against everything we stand for. They keep this up we’ll end up being compared to the Big-10, or worse, the ACC!!
My money is on BAMA….
I am in the minority I guess. I was rooting for Bama to beat UGA last year. UGA fans are the absolute worst and rudest in college football, and thankfully their continued lack of a natty in almost 40 years keeps them slightly in check. I can’t imagine the flood of ass hattery that would come if they actually won one.
Alabama
I go to a lot of Georgia games…to say Georgia has the worst fans in college football is a joke…yeah we have our share of idiots…but there’s no fan base in the sec that can claim they don’t…I’ve been to Lsu, Bama, Auburn, uscjr, Tennessee,Miss state,Flordia,…trust me…none of us should take shots at other fan base’s each have their share of loud mouth obnoxious idiots…but the worst experience I ever had was actually a home game for UGA…I was 15 in 1991 the Clemson game…those were the most hateful people I ever experienced…but that was just a small sample size…I know they are not all that way…
Alabama. I hate that team so much that even if it helps Auburn for Bama to win I would still root against them. Georgia has beaten two top ten teams. Alabama has played a cupcake schedule all year.
**LSU was the exception and we see how that turned out.
I think you give Georgia way too much credit. BTW they haven’t beaten two top ten teams. Florida is eleven and Notre Dame is sixteen.
The SEC east is so weak this year outside of two teams. Georgia will likely lose to Auburn and A&M.
Georgia might lose to Auburn but they will steamroll A&M.
LSU beating Bama has actually made the iron bowl a must win for Bama. I like that as an Auburn fans because it makes it hurt that much more when we stomp that a$$
The west isn’t as deep as it used to be either…it’s really only 3 good teams in it…Ole miss, Msu aren’t good Arkansas the worst team in league and Texa&m is just average.. probably no better than Tennessee…Lsu and Bama are two best teams…and Georgia, Auburn and Flordia are all close as far as 3 through 5 go…and then it’s huge drop off
Definitely Bama. Heck it made me giddy to see all the sad Bama faces in the stands vs. LSU. Granted they don’t look that way very often. But when they get sad, it is the most sad fan on the planet.
Look at it this way. If Auburn beats Bama, there is no way for them to make the playoffs. No way. On top of that, I think LSU beats Georgia in the Championship game. That would knock both our rivals out of playoff contention.