Auburn Deserves to Play for the National Championship with an SEC Championship Win

Jason Campbell Receives a Well Deserved Hug From an Appreciative Fan

After my Washington Redskin curse debacle I have been afraid to mention anything about my favorite college football team, Auburn. During last Saturday's Iron Bowl game Auburn trailed Alabama by 6 at halftime. That is when I changed the Auburn shirt I was wearing. My son was at a youth retreat somewhere around the Great Smokies, and he was watching the game, and he changed his shirt at halftime as well. Auburn went on to score 21 points, and only gave up a final touchdown to Alabama as time was running out of the game. I sometimes wish that Auburn would go for the blow-out scores instead of implementing a game management strategy. However, I agree with Coach Tuberville that a win should only be counted as a win no matter what the point spread.
Auburn has been an endearing friend to me, my only connection to a time of happiness that was lost many years ago.

In 1972, I was 8 years old. number 9 Auburn was facing number 2 Alabama. Alabama had a 16 - 3 lead with 5:30 left in the game. Alabama's punter would have his kick blocked by Bill Newton. David Langner would return the punt for a touchdown and a few minutes later the same thing happened again punt block by Newton, and Langner score. Auburn won 17 - 16 and bumper stickers everywhere said Punt Bama Punt. I do not remember seeing that game which would result in Auburn leading the series 19-17-1. Auburn beat Colorado 24-3 in the Gator Bowl and finished with a number 5 ranking. Alabama lost to Texas 13-17 in the Cotton Bowl and ended the season with a number 7 ranking.

Sometime in 1973 I became an Auburn fan. At the time I lived in Gadsden, Alabama. Alabama fans outnumbered Auburn fans 3 to 1. I went with the underdog. I was glad later because I thought all the girls who wore Auburn colors were more beautiful. The first game that I really remember the score to was the 1973 Iron Bowl. Auburn lost to Alabama 0-35. It was payback for the Tide fans. Alabama would win the next 8 match-ups between the two teams.

In 1974, my great-grandmother died. I was closer to her than anyone else in the world. I would visit her in Chattanooga several times a year. (We had moved to Alabama from Chattanooga when I was starting second grade.) Prior to her death I had been a big bully to everyone. I guess the shock of it really hit me and I became interested in church and doing good to others. My next big shock came in 1975. My mom and step-father were getting a divorce. That was no biggie. We were going to move back to Chattanooga. (This bothered me because I had a great deal of friends in Gadsden at home and at school where I had just starred as the Doormouse in A Mad Tea Party.) Actually, the biggest shocker was that my sister who I was the closest to was going to get married and stay in Gadsden. I remember listening to Auburn on the radio until it faded out as we drove away.

Auburn became my only contact to the world I loved. My mom had to work all the time to support us. I would watch every Auburn game and when it was not televised I would turn on the AM radio to occasionally pick up an Auburn play or two in a sea of static. I knew the exact frequency of the Gadsden station that played their games, and actually would pick up some moments of every game even though the station was 100 miles away.

In 1981, Pat Dye became coach of Auburn. He would win 6 out of 12 games against Alabama. The drought was over.

Auburn has not won a national championship since 1957 although they have certainly deserved it. I think there is a bias against Auburn that does not exist for other SEC teams.

In 1983, Auburn kept getting higher and higher in the poles after losing an early game to Texas.
Auburn (11-1)
Auburn
09/10 Auburn 24 - Southern Mississippi 3
09/17 Texas 20 - Auburn 7
09/24 Auburn 37- Tennessee 14
10/01 Auburn 27 - Florida St 24
10/08 Auburn 49 - Kentucky 21
10/15 Auburn 31 - Georgia Tech 13
10/22 Auburn 28 - Mississippi St 13
10/29 Auburn 28 - Florida 21
11/05 Auburn 35 - Maryland 23
11/12 Auburn 13 - Georgia 7
12/03 Auburn 23 - Alabama 20
01/02 Auburn 9 - Michigan 7 !! Sugar Bowl !!

1983 Miami9/3 @ Florida* (9-2-1) L 3-28
9/10 @ Houston (4-7) W 29-7
9/17 Purdue (3-7-1) W 35-0
9/24 Notre Dame* (7-5) W 20-0
10/1 @ Duke (3-8) W 56-17
10/8 Louisville (3-8) W 42-14
10/15 @ Miss. State (3-8) W 31-7
10/22 Cincinatti (4-6-1) W 17-7 @ Cincinatti OH
10/29 West Virginia*#(16) (9-3) W 20-3
11/5 East Carolina#(20) (8-3) W 12-7
11/12 @ F$U* (7-5) W 17-16
1/2 Nebraska*#(2) (12-1) W 31-30 @ Orange Bowl, Miami FL

Auburn should have been the national champs. Auburn had the hardest schedule of any team that year. Auburn beat Florida who beat Miami.

Another way to look at is
#1 loses by a point to #5 (Miami).
#2 loses by a point to #7.
#3 (Auburn) wins by two points over #8.
#4 gets hosed by 36 points to an unranked team.
Why does #5 rise to #1 over #3?

In 1993, Auburn was on probation but, still undefeated. The only hope they would have would be that their record would be the only one without losses. Here is the final poll.

1993 Final Poll
Final Poll released after Bowls Final
Rank Team Record
1 Florida St. 12-1
2 Notre Dame (IN) 11-1
3 Nebraska 11-1
4 Auburn (AL) 11-0
5 Florida 11-2
6 Wisconsin 10-1-1

Auburn Won Every Game

9/2 W 16-12 Mississippi
9/11 W 35-7 Samford
9/18 W 34-10 LSU
9/25 W 35-24 Southern Mississippi
10/2 W 14-10 Vanderbilt
10/ 9 W 31-17 Mississippi State
10/16 W 38-35 Florida
10/30 W 31-21 Arkansas
11/ 6 W 55-14 New Mexico State
11/13 W 42-28 Georgia
11/20 W 22-14 Alabama

Most teams are never put in the position that Auburn has been put in. If Auburn beats Tennessee in the SEC Championship, they should be in the National Championship Game. Auburn has suffered the last two times they were in the same situation.



This Season 11-0
Sept. 4 Louisiana-Monroe W 31-0
Sept. 11 Mississippi State W 43-14
Sept. 18 LSU W 10-9
Sept. 25 The Citadel W 33-3
Oct. 2 Tennessee W 34-10
Oct. 9 Louisiana Tech W 52-7
Oct. 16 Arkansas W 38-20
Oct. 23 Kentucky W 42-10
Oct. 30 Ole Miss W 35-14
Nov. 13 Georgia W 24-6
Nov. 20 Alabama W 22-13

After all these years I am still hopeful that Auburn will win a national championship. I feel Auburn was robbed in the past. Don't let it happen again.