They Hate Us Cause They Ain't Us: Alabama Crimson Tide's 3 Big Rivals [INFOGRAPHIC]
Share this Image On Your Site
Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer: Alabama's Top 3 Rivalries
Ever since first fielding a team in 1892, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide has cultivated a rich history of football tradition and excellence. Over the years, three main rivals have emerged to passionately challenge the Tide on the gridiron year in and year out-the Auburn University Tigers, the University of Tennessee Volunteers, and the Louisiana State University Tigers.vs. Auburn - The Iron Bowl
43W - 35L - 1T
Known as the Iron Bowl, Alabama's annual game against their cross-state rival, Auburn, is a contentious affair for players and fans alike. Meeting for the first time in 1893, the two schools have played 79 times with Alabama leading the all-time series 43-35-1. Every year, the winner of the game is presented with the James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy.
The Iron Bowl moniker comes from the historic role of the steel industry in Birmingham, AL, where the game was traditionally played. Over the rivalry's 100-plus year tradition, the game has also been played across the state in Auburn, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa.
Despite their close proximity and inherent rivalry, Alabama and Auburn did not play one another for nearly 40 years from 1908-1947. Animosity between the schools is often cited as the reason for this lengthy gap in the series. In 1947, however, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the two major state schools to get over their differences and once again meet on the field, which they did the following year and have every year since.
The Crimson Tide holds the largest margin victory in the series with a 55-0 stomping in 1948. The Tide also claims the longest win streak in the series, winning nine straight from 1973 to 1981.
It should come as no surprise that through the years, the notable series has seen its share of historical milestones, including the first televised Iron Bowl in 1964, which saw legendary Bama quarterback Joe Namath lead the Crimson Tide to a 21-14 victory. Additionally, Coach Bear Bryant earned his 315th career victory when Alabama defeated Auburn 28-17 in 1981. With that victory, Coach Bryant became the all-time winningest FBS coach.
In recent years, the Alabama-Auburn game has reached even greater heights with national championship implications nearly every year. In fact, for five consecutive seasons (2009-2013), the winner of the Iron Bowl went on to play for the National Championship later that year.
The first game was played on February 22, 1893. This game is played each year by two of the largest public universities in Alabama, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn University Tigers. The first game had 5,000 attendees. Now, millions watch the game live each year and tickets are almost instantly sold out.
The University of Alabama's rivalries with the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers also draw record levels of attendance.
vs. Tennessee - The Third Saturday in October
51W - 38L - 7T
One of the most historic rivalries in not only the SEC, but in all of college football, the Alabama-Tennessee game has pitted the two traditional powerhouses against one another since 1901. Alabama commands a 51-38-7 all-time lead in the series. From 1902 to 1913, Alabama dominated the series, losing only once, and never allowing a touchdown by the Volunteers during that span.
The game is traditionally played on the Third Saturday in October-which is where the rivalry nickname originates. But from 1995 to the present day, when the SEC split into two divisions, the game has only been scheduled on that date six times, but the well-known moniker has stuck. Though Alabama is in the Western Division of the SEC and Tennessee is in the Eastern Division, the annual game is one of the only cross-divisional rivalries in the conference that still occurs every year.
Playing games in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Knoxville, TN, the rivalry has been marked by multiple lengthy winning streaks by each school, the longest of which was Alabama's 11 in row from 1971-1981. The largest margin of victory came way back in 1906, when Alabama shutout Tennessee 51-0. In fact, shutouts are not rare in the series, with each team scoring 12 against one another. Alabama currently enjoys an 8-game winning streak (2007 to 2014) with an average margin of victory during this stretch of nearly 21 points.
One of the most enduring traditions extending from the celebrated series is the celebratory victory cigars, which started in 1953 by Alabama trainer Jim Goostree. The custom ended sometime later due to the NCAA's regulations against tobacco products. But the tradition was reignited in 2005, with the winning team knowingly violating NCAA rule and reporting the violation in honor of tradition.
vs. LSU
49W - 25L - 5T
Alabama and LSU first met on the gridiron in 1895. The rivalry between these two schools is based on a long history of fierce competition and geographic proximity, with Alabama leading the charge with an all-time record of 49-25-4. Over the years, the two teams have gone head to head in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Mobile.
The largest margin of victory between the two teams went to Alabama in 1922, with a final score of 47-3. Bama dominated the series during Bear Bryant's legendary run as Head Coach, leading the Crimson Tide to the rivalry's longest winning streak at 11 straight wins between 1971-1981.
The rivalry has become more far more competitive in recent years, with Alabama leading 18-14-1 since Bryant's retirement. Four games in the last ten seasons have been decided in overtime. Alabama and LSU even met twice during the 2011 season, once in the regular season and again for the BCS National Championship. Though LSU defeated Bama the first go-round, Bama made an incredible comeback in the 2011 BCS Championship, defeating LSU 21-0-the only shutout ever in a BCS Bowl Game.
This is not to say current Head Coach Nick Saban has not held his own. Saban has served as Head Coach of both LSU (2000-2004) and Alabama (2007-Present), which has led many to informally dub the two teams' annual game as "The Saban Bowl."
Notably, for the past eight presidential elections, the winner of the Alabama-LSU matchup in the year of a U.S. presidential election has been an uncanny predictor of the next U.S. President. When LSU emerges victorious, so has a Republican candidate, and when Alabama wins, a Democrat has taken the office.
Alabma's Two Legendary Coaches vs. the Rivals
Alabama's two legendary head coaches, Paul "Bear" Bryant and Nick Saban, are among the most famous in college football history. During his tenure at Alabama, Bear Bryant claimed the career record for victories by a head football coach in Division 1 college football. In the 1960s and '70s, no school won more games than Alabama (193-32-5). Under Bryant's leadership, Alabama held a 19-6 record against Auburn, a 16-7-2 record against Tennessee, and a 16-4 record versus LSU.
Alabama's current head coach Nick Saban is a fan favorite and has proven himself to be among the greats with a stellar record, including three BCS national championships and three SEC titles. Against Bama's top rivals, his record stands 5-3 vs. Auburn; 8-0 vs. Tennessee; and 6-3 vs. LSU.
** All stats and records are current through the end of the 2014 season
Sources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Crimson_Tide_football_series_records
http://www.winsipedia.com/alabama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Bowl
http://collegefootball.about.com/od/rivalries/a/riv-ironbowl.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Saturday_in_October
http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/10/21/alabama-tennessee-football-rivalry-history
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/70697-alabamatennessee-to-commit-ncaa-violation-this-saturday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama%E2%80%93LSU_football_rivalry
http://athlonsports.com/college-football/12-statistical-highlights-lsu-vs-alabama-series
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/11/seven_things_you_may_not_have.html
http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Bryant_Bear.html
They Hate Us Cause They Ain't Us: Alabama Crimson Tide's 3 Big Rivals [INFOGRAPHIC], Courtesy of The SUPeStore