The Iron Bowl: Why Alabama vs Auburn is the SEC’s Most Intense Rivalry

The Auburn and Alabama teams first met in a sanctioned college football game in 1893, and Auburn won. It is not unusual for both teams to be ranked going into the game or for the winner to have a chance to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game.

The path to a national championship has been known to run through the Alabama vs Auburn football game, as have the Heisman Trophy winners who played in it.

The Iron Bowl is not the only rivalry in the SEC. Adding Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC is enough to remind you of things to know ahead of the Red River Rivalry Showdown.

Alabama leads the series 51-37-1. The 90th meeting between Alabama and Auburn will occur on November 29 at Auburn.

Let’s check in on the Alabama vs Auburn football rivalry.

Hard To Top The Alabama vs Auburn Football Rivalry

A Look At The Rivalry

Auburn had the upper hand in the early days of the Alabama vs Auburn rivalry, going 13-9-1 in the first 23 games. The Tigers won six of the first seven meetings.

There was a gap of more than 40 years when the schools did not play. When the rivalry resumed in 1948, Alabama won that game 55-0. It was a sign of things to come.

Alabama won nine games in a row from 1973 to 1981 before a player named Bo Jackson helped Auburn win the 1982 and 1983 Iron Bowl games.

Auburn won four games in a row in the late 1980s and topped Alabama six consecutive times from 2002 to 2007. However, the Crimson Tide has won 13 of the last 17 meetings.

Where Is the Iron Bowl Played?

It wasn’t until 1999 that the annual Iron Bowl game was played at the home field for the two teams. The road team won the first four of those games.

The teams met twice in 1893, with Auburn winning the games in Birmingham and Montgomery.

Three of the first five games were held in Montgomery, and 45 consecutive Iron Bowls were played in Birmingham.

How Did The Iron Bowl Get Its Name?

Many early football matchups between Alabama and Auburn were played in Birmingham. It was considered one of the leading industrial cities in the United States, and iron was among the products manufactured in Birmingham.

The “Iron Bowl” name was credited to former Auburn football coach Ralph Jordan. When reporters asked him about his disappointment in not taking the Tigers to a bowl game in the 1964 season, he answered, “We’ve got our bowl game. We have it every year. It’s the Iron Bowl in Birmingham.”

The programs have combined for nearly 40 SEC football championships, and they rank among the winningest teams in college football history.

Looking at the Best Iron Bowls

There have been many unforgettable games in the history of the Alabama vs Auburn series. Here are some to remember.

The 1964 Iron Bowl was the first Iron Bowl to air on national television. Quarterback Joe Namath led Alabama to a 21-14 win.

Eight years later, Auburn returned two blocked punts for a 17-16 win. The 1981 game saw Alabama coach Bear Bryant, 19-6 in the Iron Bowl, become the winningest college football coach in history. His time at Alabama resulted in some of the most iconic college football matchups.

Alabama native Bo Jackson’s 1-yard TD when he soared over the blockers and defenders helped the Tigers win in 1982 and snap a nine-game losing streak to Alabama.

The 1985 game could be easily the best in the series’ history, with Van Tiffin’s 52-yard field goal lifting the Crimson Tide to a 25-23 win.

With Cam Newton leading, Auburn overcame a 24-point deficit to top Alabama 28-27. Auburn fans put a Newton jersey on the Bear Bryant statue. In response, an Alabama fan poisoned the oak trees at Auburn.

In the 2019 game both teams scored nearly 100 points. Auburn’s 48-45 win keeping the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff field.

Two years later, Alabama needed overtime to edge an unranked Auburn team.

Two Plays to Remember

There are so many plays that turned the tide in the Iron Bowl. We are focused on two when the Auburn football team played Alabama.

In 2013, Alabama sent out Adam Griffith to attempt the game-winning 57-yard field goal. The kick did not have the distance as Auburn’s Chris Davis returned the missed field goal 109 yards to give the Tigers a stunning 34-28 win over top-ranked Alabama in a contest now known as the “Kick Six” game.

More recently, Jalen Milroe had an improbable touchdown pass to Jalen Milroe on a 4th-and-31 play with less than a minute to go as Alabama came away with the unlikely victory.