Auburn’s recent run of bad fortune in close games has become hard to ignore, and Alabama fans have every reason to enjoy the view.
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports dug into the luckiest and unluckiest teams in college football from last season, and Auburn landed squarely on the wrong side of the ledger. No program lost more one-score games than the Tigers, who went 0-6 in those matchups. Army was the only team with four or more one-score losses to also post two wins in those same kinds of games, while Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, and Texas State combined to go 0-19 in one-score contests.
That kind of record leaves plenty of room for what-ifs. If Auburn had been a little sharper in those tight moments, maybe Hugh Freeze would still have a job. Instead, the program that once seemed to have the universe on its side is now searching for answers.
The contrast with Alabama is pretty sharp. The Crimson Tide went 4-1 in games decided by eight points or less, with wins over Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, and Auburn.
Their only loss in that stretch came by two points at home against Oklahoma, a future playoff team Alabama later avenged in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 first-round game.
That’s the difference between a team that keeps finding ways and one that keeps coming up short. Auburn spent the 2020s getting battered by close-game chaos, while the 2010s were packed with the kind of wild finishes that made the Tigers feel untouchable.
Now the two programs are headed in very different directions. Auburn is trying to rebuild under Alex Golesh, while Kalen DeBoer has already taken Alabama to the playoff once and won a playoff game on the road before year three even begins. He may not have built up a huge reservoir of goodwill yet, but he has more than enough to show the direction of the program.
And the old Auburn magic? That feels like a different era now.
The Cam-back, the Prayer at Jordan-Hare, Kick Six - those moments still live in the memory, but they belong to another time. Auburn does have a national title this century, plus another undefeated season and an additional trip to a national championship game, yet it remains arguably the most storied program never to make the College Football Playoff before.
Year 13 of the playoff era is here, and Auburn still hasn’t broken through.
At this point, it’s fair to say Auburn has either lost its way or lost the universe’s favor. Most likely, it’s a little of both. And with Alabama and Georgia sitting as perennial powers in the same neighborhood, the climb only gets steeper.
Still, nobody in crimson is losing sleep over it on Thanksgiving.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Crossed Into A New SEC Pay For Play Fight
Auburns latest postseason setup has pushed the conversation around player compensation a step further, with Peach Bowl Inc. creating a deal tied to the Atlanta game that blends NIL money with a share of ticket sales. The arrangement covers 24 Tigers players and comes with a massive ticket allotment, including 20,645 seats for Auburn and 3,000 for Baylor, making this more than just a standard bowl-week financial wrinkle.
For Alabama fans, the bigger significance is how openly this kind of structure is being embraced inside the SECs orbit. Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen has shown no concern about the nature of the compensation, which only adds to the sense that these game-linked pay arrangements are becoming part of the new normal, even as the details continue to spark debate across the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama QB Battle Just Took An Intriguing Turn Before Camp
With fall camp closing in, Alabamas quarterback competition is still waiting for a public answer from the coaching staff, but the conversation around it has only gotten louder. The buzz has leaned toward Keelon Russell, the highly rated sophomore whose upside has made him a popular pick among fans, even as Austin Mack remains in the mix and the staff continues to keep the race open.
Former Alabama standout Mark Ingram added another layer to the discussion by saying Russell appears to have the upper hand right now. Even so, the first snaps of camp could still tell a different story, and the way Alabama sorts out the early pecking order will be one of the more closely watched developments when the Tide get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Is Starting To Feel Like A Bigger Problem
Kalen DeBoers quarterback decision has become one of the most closely watched questions around Alabama this summer, with Keelon Russell and Austin Mack still locked in a competition that has yet to produce a clear answer. DeBoer has said publicly that there is no timetable for naming a starter, which keeps the focus on how the staff is weighing the two passers and what each would mean for an offense trying to settle in before the season.
The longer that choice drags on, the more it shapes the conversation around the Crimson Tides outlook, because the position is tied directly to how high this team can climb. Alabama also has other quarterbacks in the program and more talent on the way with recruits Elijah Haven and Trent Seaborn arriving, which only adds to the sense that DeBoer will eventually have to make a call and live with the ripple effects. [Read more 🡒]