This "little" article was in the Crimson White today…hilarious…
"The littlest dynasty"
Eight months.
That's exactly how long the "Auburn dynasty" lasted. After three straight years of beating Alabama and building a program worthy of being declared "The People's National Champions," the Auburn .Tigers are right back where they started: playing second fiddle to the Crimson Tide.
How is it possible to lose such an enormous amount of national respect and clout in such a short period of time? If anyone knows how to do it, it's Auburn.
In 1957, Auburn won its first (and only) national title. The Tigers were on top of the football world in a time when the sport was becoming America's new national pastime.
So did Auburn capitalize on this opportunity and turn into the next big thing in Southern football? Not exactly. It would be 26 years before Auburn would even win its conference again.
Let's check out the next banner in the Auburn hall of fame: the 1993 season. Terry Bowden led the Tigers in his first year as head coach to a perfect 11-0 record and was triumphantly carried off the field after beating Alabama for the first time ever at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn's time had finally come. Except for one thing: The Tigers were on probation and had no chance to compete for a conference or national title.
And of course, we all know about 2004, Cadillac "The School That I Had Chose" Williams and the last-second touchdown by Spencer Pennington that might have kept the Tigers out of the national championship game.
So how do these three instances, the three greatest moments in Auburn football history, explain how far the Tigers have fallen in just one summer?
In Terry Bowden's words, it's all about "Attitude." There are programs that know how to act when they're on top — places like Notre Dame, Michigan, USC and, not so long ago, Alabama.
Auburn is not one of those schools. Whenever the Tigers have been given a chance at success, an opportunity to finally eclipse the mighty Tide in national prominence and respect, the results are always the same: They, inevitably, blow it.
Alabama has been down and out for half a decade. The Tide has been forced to deal with an embarrassing 2000 season, devastating NCAA sanctions, a gutless betrayal by a head coach, a trashy scandal by his replacement and, finally, the utter humiliation of losing for three straight years to Auburn.
Auburn had the crown of Dixie handed to it on a silver platter coming into the 2005 season.
Three games in, it appears that Auburn has missed the chance for coronation once again.
The Tide outranks Auburn in both major polls and is two weeks away from what is being hyped as one of the biggest games of the year against Florida.
Meanwhile, Auburn's name won't be uttered again until the middle of October when the team plays its next real opponent (sorry Tigers, Western Kentucky High School for the Blind probably won't attract the ESPN GameDay crew).
Such is life in the Loveliest Village on the Plains, where fans chant, "We're No. 2," where it's tough to be seen in the shadow of Alabama and where losing is just a way of life.
Matt Scalici is a senior sports reporter for The Crimson White.
Good Providence and Roll Tide
About Me
- Wayne Grayson
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
- "And when you realize it's a pattern and not a phase, that it's what you've become and it's what you will stay, well, that's ballgame." -Kevin Devine "Ballgame"
14 comments:
you're so full of ****
Hahahaha...oh my sides hurt. Woo...
big ten!....?...!
I think you need to realize some facts about this season. Alabama played arkansas last weekend, a team who Alabama struggled with considerably, but eventually pulled out a victory. If you remember, Arkansas is the same team that was recently beaten by USC 70-17. That puts alabama's skill in perspective. So far the tide have only played teams like Middle Tennesse High School for the blind, and dont forget the one we are all looking forward to-Utah State. According to the statistics the best team the tide has played is Southern Miss-again very close and sad. Granted they play Florida this weekend, but i have a feeling the hype of the biggest game of the season is going to be the biggest beatdown of the tide's season. I guess time will tell. Addressing a question that you posed about how is it possible for a team to lose such enormous amount of national respect and clout in such a short period of time, well i think you all know the answer to that better than we do.
Well, I think it's good that you guys have this special time to sit back and think about what an amazing season you're going to have. I mean, after laying the lumber to teams like Middle Tennessee State University, Southern Miss, South Carolina, and Arkansas, why wouldn't you expect great things out of this year? Well...if you've paid any attention to your opponents you'd see why. Middle Tennessee State (MTSU) is 0-3. Looks like you guys broke their spirits for their matchups against North Texas and Akron. The best team Alabama has played this year was Southern Miss, who they beat by 9...Southern Miss.....by 9. The South Carolina game was such a bad game for you guys. Why you ask? It isn't like you lost the game. In fact, you won by 23. But you guys think you defeated a monster, aka. Steve Spurrier, and you really beat a team that Troy could have very possibly taken last week if they hadn't fumbled the ball 5 times and thrown an interception. So how good is the South Carolina team you beat two weeks ago? They're not. And of course after this great Arkansas matchup, why wouldn't every Alabama fan see a national championship in the near horizon? It isn't like Arkansas isn't a powerhouse in the Southeastern Conference. Unfortunately for your strength of schedule, they lost a very tough matchup against Vandy, and seven days later lost a close one to the previous national champions USC 70-17. However, I can see why you are very excited about this season, I mean after going 6-6 last season and 4-9 the season before that. I'll be sure to post another repsonse of you play a real team, Florida. It's back to reality this weekend.
Guys, leave it be, gosh. Roll tide, Wayne!
haha...anonymous auburn fan makes me laugh. what are you trying to prove?oh yeah that you deserve two rings instead of one? ok we'll give ya the other one. still youve got alot of catching up to. not just to us...haha...you got LOTS of catching up then...anyway. glad the game against powerhouse that is western kentucky went ok...awesome props to the d of the tigers on that performance...way to scare the crap out of yourselves on homecoming...anyway, its not just us who's hyping up the game its everyone. youre just pissed that when espn actually decided to trek out to the pasture you guys choked...a skill of yours it seems. im not saying that you guys havent won your fair share becuase you have and youve beaten us alot too, but the fact remains that when it counts you can't seem to pull it off...sorry thats the truth. you have just as many crap games as we do. we just try to stay in the 1a classification to find ours...im through arguing with you people...who is this anyway? i dont think its trent cause it doesnt sound like him...anywaym if youre a real auburn fan youll reveal yourself...or maybe it means you wont...anyway, there's no sense in arguing anymore. Alabama is better than Auburn right now. that is the plain fact. the record says so. the history says so. just let it be. it will always be this way. when people thinka state of alabama football they think what? they think ALABAMA FOOTBALL. schools (including auburn) wish they had the tradition and game day atmosphere like UA's. You cannot beat our traditions. I've had a taste of the AU traditions...and they are simply ripping off or demeaning the UA ones. It's sad. anyway. as long as you go on and on about how many times you have beat us recently, I'm gonna preach about how none of it means anything. YOU ARE NOT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND STOP ACTING LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN CHEATED.
to my au friends...you know how i really feel...especially you trent. it's just football...but what a glorious football it is. everyone just needs to shut up til they play this october.
Roll Tide
It's a good thing that your comments aren't coming from a bias perspective. I'm sure everytime you think of the State of Alabama, you think about...Alabama, and maybe peanuts (but that's beside the point). However...I am pretty sure that we have pulled some games out it a few clutch situations. Seems that whole Georgia game went well. I think there were a few people watching that one last year. I seem to recall Auburn stepping up and scoring a last drive touchdown to down the previous year's national champions. Well, I think we pulled off pretty much everything...sorry but that's the truth. We can wait till October, but the debate is so much fun. And why wait, when you can gloat about victory now?
and actually, they play in november anyways. Another thing I failed to mention is that we have actually played one less crap team than ya'll have this year and also I do believe it was the majority of our 3rd string playing saturday against western kentucky.
Didn't they leave the first string in until the second half? And then they pulled them out? What were they afraid of? Looking bad...? That sure wasn't the way to go then.
I love college football
I don't believe any team starts their 3rd string in ANY game. hmmm....i know alabama doesn't.
Ummm.... who cares?
....yeah... Im an Arkansas fan.
omg
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