Auburn's Football Program Stands Alone In Alabama

With just seconds to go in Saturday's Iron Bowl, Alabama linebacker Terrence Jones took a cheap shot at Auburn as Brandon Cox was taking a knee. Later, Auburn cornerback David Irons was hit in the face with a full water bottle. Numerous glass bottle were hurled at Auburn players as they left the field.

This is what has become of a once proud Alabama football program. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville shrugged it off as frustration on Alabama's part. I suppose that can happen when your program is in total meltdown.

Alabama's football program is a shell of what it was in the mid 1990's. In a way, those years under Gene Stallings were a mirage, masking the spiraling of a great 20th century team. Let's face it, Alabama is no longer a player on the national stage. Similar to what has happened to Army and Navy, the Crimson Tide serve as nothing more than a reminder of what used to be.

Every year those clips of Bear Bryant become more and more grainy. The young coeds who wear his famed houndstooth hats know him only from the dusty books in their daddy's den. His hat is a fashion statement now and little else.

Tommy Tuberville has so taken over the state of Alabama that the rivalry is really only a series. For two teams to play in a rivalry, once must be competitive. That has long since passed. Auburn has surpassed Alabama in every way. They have better coaches, better facilities, better national recognition with the young players and most importantly compete for championships.

As is tradition, just like the Olympics every four years, Alabama will again head into the week after the Iron Bowl with a decision to make. Should it start all over again with a new coach? Is there anyone left in the country who may have briefly sat on the lap of Coach Bryant as a child and thus gained infinite coaching abilities that will somehow return this once proud program back to relevance?

Sadly for the Tide, the answer is no. How far has the football program fallen? Just two weeks ago, the Alabama Board of Trustees named its athletic complex after Mal Moore. That's a mighty high honor for someone who has arguably run the athletic program into the ground.

In contrast, Auburn heads to the off-season with a decision to make. Cotton or Outback. How big is the Auburn program today? Well, many of you are disappointed in a ten win season. While it's a crazy notion, it's also very comforting. Times are good.

Auburn's signing class is already pretty much locked up and it's not even December. Rivals has Auburn's class ranked fourth nationally. Meanwhile, in Northwest Alabama the clouds continue to form. It looks like rain again in Tuscaloosa.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

11-19-2006 @ 10:48PM

Daniel said...

Well Jay, you must be nothing short of a bonehead if you believe what you have written. Need we forget that the mighty powers at auburn tried to secretly hire a new coach a short time ago? I was at the Iron Bowl and if you want to talk about class, OK. As I was walking into the stadium, with my houndstooth cap on, a female auburn fan made a comment and I quote " Bear Bryant is dead, move on already". Wow, what kind of class is that? While this year has been difficult for the Crimson Tide, things look very positive for next year. All of us "real fans" recognized that this year was a fairly young team. If you were at the game, you should have noticed that there were not many Seniors recognized before kickoff. Next year starts a new hand, and its color is CRIMSON!!!

11-24-2006 @ 10:12PM

ernie said...

Auburn is a great power!!! oh wait, arkansas trahed them just a couple of weeks back!! we all know that the Bear is gone, but rest assured Alabama football is not dead. I personally see signs of good things to come. Tommy Tubbabutt could not hold a candle to the Bear. ROLL TIDE, WE WILL ROLL AGAIN!!!!!!

11-19-2006 @ 11:03PM

Jacob said...

Auburn tried to hire a new coach because they were not willing to have a horrible record. Auburn has the best stadium in the state (I have been to both many times, and its no comparison). We have a better front office, and we have much better players. Tommy finaly learned how to get an offenice cordinater, and they have steamrolled Alabama since. You can cry and whine all day, I am just getting ready to start on the second hand counting wins. Will you be fearing the toes before you realize that your program just isnt what it used to be. Bear Bryant is dead, and you need to stop living in the past. He is not going to come back and restore this team. If you stop trying to enjoy the wins for the past you may realize that your forsaking the future. You are more than welcome to keep doing so, it just makes for more Auburn wins. Oh, and by the way, me and every other Auburn fan in this state love Mike Shula. You should keep him there to keep you from winning for as long as possible. I love that straight up the middle three times and kicking a field goal in the red zone. You have made it an art.

11-19-2006 @ 11:05PM

Bill Rowlett said...

No, Alabama football isn't over the Hill and the tides ( even Crimson ones) will change over time. Give John Parker a year or two and Bama will be back. I am an Auburn football fan but they are over-rated this year and have been all year long. The blow-outs to Arkansas and 'gulp" Georgia were pretty embarrasing. Yes, The Razorbacks are the real McCoy but Georgia - a team beaten by Vandy and Kentucky? I hope the Tigers don't get shellacked again in the Bowl as they did against Wisconsin last year. TU

11-19-2006 @ 11:20PM

David said...

It hurts to read this but I'm not really disagreeing with it. Alabama is a prisoner of it's own past. All I hear is Bear this & 12 championships that but we will never get anywhere remembering the past. It so sad to see Alabama down like this & there is nothing anyone can do about it, it is what it is. It seems like Alabama doesn't mind making money off the past but it is doing nothing for the future. Going from 10-2 to 6-6 is a loss of words that I can't find. It will take a long time to recover from these weak teams we have & Alabama can only blame itself. ROLL TIDE

11-20-2006 @ 1:18AM

LadyTiger said...

I was appalled at the behavior of the Alabama fans after the Iron Bowl. Throwing bottles at the Auburn players showed everyone exactly how much "class" alabama fans really have. Alabama has lost it's bragging rights on every front. I don't care how frustrated they are, that was inexcusable.

11-20-2006 @ 1:51AM

Amy said...

It sounds to me like there was poor sportsmanship on both sides. I'm an Auburn fan, but I would never disrespect another team, whether mine won or lost. There was no reason to hit Brandon Cox, and there was no reason to disrespect one of the best coaches in college football history, much less a dead person. EVERY team has ups and downs throughout the years so we might want to remember that when we're around fans of other teams. Just shake hands and say "nice game".... because that's all it is- a GAME!

11-20-2006 @ 6:15PM

Capstone33 said...

Ok. As for the throwing of water bottles. They were thrown by ignorant drunk students. 98% of everything that was trown was by students. When we blow Auburn out in Jordan-Hare Stadium(nobody outside of Auburn knows who they were)im sure your students will throw things too. It happens everywhere. And who keeps talking about Bear. Ive never heard a bama fan say they were better because of the Bear. We know hes dead, but its a privelege to root for a program where he coached. And yes, were proud of our 12 national championships. You can try to find a way to beat the system and say we have 9,7,4.5 but we know we have 12 and thats all that matters. The fact is that Auburn will never have one and thats hard for you all to swallow. Get over yourselves. Alabama is a dynasty, a dynasty that is going through a very tough stage right now. Mark it down: Auburn will not win another Iron Bowl this decade. Enjoy the next 364 days while they last.

11-20-2006 @ 8:29AM

Jerry Etheridge said...

As an Auburn graduate (69), I always pull for Auburn to beat Bama...but when Bama plays the Gators, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas or whoever, I pull for Bama. There are two great schools in Alabama, one in the North and one in the South..it is just a matter of time before the one in the North recruits better athletes and starts winning again. Auburn can and should enjoy the winning seasons as you never know when it may end. War Eagle.

11-20-2006 @ 8:43AM

Ryan Ferguson said...

Jay, congrats from the Gator Nation on your strong win over Bama. 5 in a row -- wow! You're on your way to the same kind of domination Florida has over Georgia (14 wins out of 16 contests.) Except maybe you won't drop a single game in that span of time.

Your comments about the Alabama fans are right on the mark. I was not at all impressed with them when I visited Tuscaloosa last year with my dad; my opinion didn't improve when the Bama "faithful" infiltrated the Swamp this season. As fans, they have some serious issues. An inferiority-superiority complex, if such a thing exists. Very hostile and aggressive.

On the other hand, I have been so impressed by Auburn's fanbase that I can't help but root for Auburn in every game they play but ours. We are pleased that Auburn is in the enviable position of being considered by several very prestigious bowls.

We look forward to welcoming you to Gainesville next year with the same level of hospitality and respect which you extended to us in Auburn.

War Eagle,

-Ryan Ferguson

11-20-2006 @ 9:11AM

James Lackey said...

Jay, another great post.

Auburn has truly surpassed Alabama in every way. The students, fans, stadium, and football program are the best in the great state of Alabama.

The guy in the first response to your post should think before he writes:

"I was at the Iron Bowl and if you want to talk about class, OK. As I was walking into the stadium, with my houndstooth cap on, a female auburn fan made a comment and I quote " Bear Bryant is dead, move on already". Wow, what kind of class is that?"

I guess he thinks throwing trash and bottles of water at players is classy. I have been to many Auburn games and never seen any fans or anyone for that matter throw anything at the visiting team or visitng fans. The past is the past and constantly throwing it up in somones face is NOT classy. If Alabama fans want to live in the past, that's there choice. Let them, but don't tell me we have no class when ALL Auburn fans ever hear from Alabama fans is the throwing something up in our face that is dead and gone.

The future is what counts. If you dwell on the past and how great things were, you fall by the wayside. If you don't beleive me, check the history books for any country of business that has failed. They did not keep up with the times.

The future is AUBURN. AUBURN has class.

WAR EAGLE

11-20-2006 @ 9:50AM

Mylan said...

Jay,
I'll say this. There is a mix of fact and fiction in your article.

The facts....yes, UA showed some lack of class on and off the field on Saturday.....wait.. I guess that's the only fact I could find.

Fiction..
Auburn's facilities do not even compare to the facilities of the University of Alabama. Did you open your eyes at the game on Saturday? Did you notice the renovations in the north endzone? Apparently not? But I guess it could have gone unnoticed, it only added more than 10,000 seats to the stadium. Not to mention the recently added workout facilities next to Coleman Colliseum which far exceeds that which Auburn has. Please think before you make these kinds of comments.

About Mal Moore
"Ran the athletic program into the ground"..??I am reading that right aren't I? Well, lets see. Gymnastics is bringing in SEC and National Championships left and right... Basketball has been to the big dance how many times in the past 5 years?... And Baseball is just coming off a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals last year. I guess that's running the Athletic program in the ground. But apparently you write out of emotions and not facts. Good luck with that in what seems to be a "total meltdown" of a journalism carreer for you.

11-20-2006 @ 10:07AM

Pete Holiday said...

You're grasping at straws, Jay.

One player gets hit by a water bottle and one player takes out some frustration late in the game (as though Auburn's players didn't do anything like that) and NOW the Tide is done. (Of course... if you taunt a bunch of drunk students, should you should probably expect things to be thrown at you. That doesn't make it right, but if Auburn had this "class" you keep talking about, their players would've kept their celebrations on the field instead of taunting Alabama fans.)

I know you're just trying to antagonize because, well, that's what Auburn fans do, but really... get a grip.

Congrats on your win, but I'm really looking forward to watching Auburn continue down from that peak they worked themselves up onto last year... it's fun to watch.

People see what they want to see and, at least when it comes to Alabama fans, you get back what you give. Most of our out of conference opponents love the fans when they come to visit and when we travel there. Glowing reviews have been written in news papers from Oklahoma to Hawaii... and yet I still hear nothing but whining from Auburn, Tennesse, Florida, etc...

Why?

One of two reasons...

1. People love to take isolated incidents and extrapolate to the larger population.
2. People act like assholes and expect the response to be nothing but courtesy and charm.

I'd bet in a lot of cases it's both. Folks act like assholes UNTIL someone retaliates and then they sign on to the internet to whine about how classes that team is. It'd actually be an interesting experiment to do. I bet you could make VANDY look like a bunch of classless thugs if you did that.

...what I do love is that Jay is STILL here writing about how bad Alabama is... still has nothing better to do... and all it's going to take is one game for all of this hubris to come crashing down.

11-20-2006 @ 10:39AM

Mylan, with all due respect, the importance of your north end zone seating addition rates right up there with Bobby Bowden's medication list in terms of national interest.

What is interesting to fans of the game, though, is that Auburn beat Alabama for the fifth time in a row. When comparing teams, the public generally doesn't consider facilities as opposed to the W-L record. Try to stay on the same page.

11-20-2006 @ 12:55PM

Ryan,
If you'll read the article please... Or did you graduate from Auburn? If so we'll excuse you. The writer is the one who brought up facilities. Good job though buddy.. that a way to pay attetion to details.

11-20-2006 @ 1:17PM

john smith said...

I was at the Iron bowl in 2005 and afterwards I saw Auburn fans throwing things and verbaly assaulting Alabama fans so those who live in glass houses should not throw rocks . What goes around comes around. HOWEVER fans should act in good sportsmanship and as long as there is alcohol and Alabama/Auburn football you will have incidents like that. Its part of football, don't like it stay at home and watch on Television. When Auburn beats us for the tenth time and calls into play the second thumb they are still number two in the state. Oh well all I can say is roll tide and yes war eagle both teams are my teams even though I pull for one a little more.
"Can't we all just get along"

11-20-2006 @ 1:22PM

How does it show a lack of class to say that Bear Bryant is dead? The man is IN FACT dead.

11-21-2006 @ 11:57AM

Ethan T said...

Terrance Jones didn't take a cheap shot. He kept playing football. So what if a team is taking a knee. THE GAME ISN'T OVER YET. You still try to get into the backfield no matter and KEEP playing the game. You play till the last second.
And Auburn Fans, Be proud of your 5 wins while we were on probation.

11-20-2006 @ 3:42PM

AU03 said...

Ethan, are you insane? It's one thing to "(keep) playing football," it's quite another to hit someone while they've kneeled on the ground to end a game. That sort of idiocy would have warranted being thrown off the team in decades past at the Capstone. What those actions, coupled with Jimmy Johns' lashing out at Croom and Juwan Simpson's "ice cream" comment show us is the same thing that I have heard from numerous BAMA fans throughout the year- Shula has no control over the team.

11-20-2006 @ 3:43PM

ChuckD said...

Alabama has a great football history. No question. But if you're an objective observer of college football today, which program would you say "matters" more?

In the 21st Century:

Auburn, 65 wins - 23 losses; Alabama, 46-39
Iron Bowls, AU 6-1, UA 1-6
.500 or worse seasons, AU 0, UA 4
Head coaches, AU 1, UA 4
Head coaches fired for involvement with strippers, AU 0, UA 1
SEC title game appearances, AU 2, UA 0
SEC titles, AU 1, UA 0

In the past four seasons:
AU 40-10, UA 26-23
Iron Bowls, AU 4-0

Bama fans, you guys have a wonderful history, just not recently. Make all the excuses you want, but seven years is not a meaningless blip. Maybe you'll be a power again. Maybe not. You aren't now. You're clearly, by any measure, the second best program in the state.

Hey, Adam West was a great Batman. Just not lately.

Auburn's not Ohio State or USC. We know that. But we're a damned good program. We suffered through the '70s and part of the '90s. Now it's your turn. Quit denying the obvious and deal with it. The first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem.