ESPN went digging for college football’s villains, and when it came to Alabama, the choice landed on a familiar face from the Iron Bowl: Cam Newton.
In a recent look at one “archenemy” for every power conference program, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach pointed to the former Auburn star, whose lone season with the Tigers still hangs over Alabama fans. Newton beat the Crimson Tide in one of the most memorable Iron Bowls ever, then capped that run with one of the most unlikely national championships the sport has seen.
Schlabach’s case centered on how quickly Newton made his mark in 2010. He guided Auburn to an undefeated season and won the Heisman Trophy, but his path through that year came with plenty of controversy.
Many Alabama fans still believe Newton shouldn’t have been eligible to play for the Tigers after his father allegedly shopped him around to schools out of junior college. Auburn ruled Newton ineligible following an NCAA investigation, but he was reinstated less than 24 hours later.
Then came the game that sealed his place in Alabama’s crosshairs. In that season’s Iron Bowl, Auburn trailed 24-0 in the second quarter before Newton authored the greatest comeback in the program’s 117-year history. He threw three touchdown passes and ran for another in a 28-27 win that became known as the “Camback.”
The rivalry has tilted hard toward Alabama since then. Auburn has won the Iron Bowl only 3 times since 2010, while Alabama has taken 6 straight and 10 of the last 12 meetings overall.
Even with Auburn’s recent struggles, the matchup has kept its national pull. Three of Alabama’s wins over the last 6 years have been by a single score, a reminder that the rivalry still finds ways to deliver drama.
The next chapter comes at the end of the 2026 regular season, when Alabama hosts Auburn in Tuscaloosa and looks to stretch its streak to 7 straight victories over its biggest rival.
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Kodi Burns Is Sending A Clear Message About Auburns New Receivers
Auburns 2026 receiver room is taking shape around experience, and it starts with the transfer-heavy group coming in from South Florida. Chas Nimrod, Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger and Christian Neptune are part of a five-player influx from USF, giving the Tigers a collection of wideouts who have already shown they can produce together and adapt to a college offense.
For a program trying to raise its passing-game ceiling in the SEC, that kind of familiarity matters, and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns sounds comfortable with where the room stands. His confidence in the group suggests Auburn sees these newcomers as more than depth pieces, but the real test will come once they have to translate that USF production against the week-to-week speed and physicality of SEC defenses. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Coleman Is Giving Auburn Fans A Painful Texas Reminder
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For Auburn supporters, the painful part is less the highlight itself than the reminder of what Coleman can look like when everything comes together. Coleman has already said Texas felt like the right fit for him, and he has been building chemistry with Arch Manning in practice, which only adds to the sense that he may be settling in quickly with his new team while Auburn watches from afar. [Read more 🡒]
Keshaun Singleton Sees Something Building In Auburns New Offense
Early in fall camp, Keshaun Singleton has already come away sounding encouraged by what Auburn is putting together on offense. The wide receiver pointed to the growing chemistry with quarterback Byrum Brown and the steady hand of receivers coach Kodi Burns, saying the group is building off the familiarity it developed in spring practices as Alex Golesh installs his system.
Singleton also sees his own role fitting neatly into the way this offense wants to play. He described himself as a physical receiver who takes pride in doing the dirty work, especially as a blocker, and that kind of buy-in can matter just as much as timing routes or clean throws when a new offense is trying to take shape in camp. [Read more 🡒]