A Decade of Disappointment Part One
Since Auburn walked off the field in Pasadena, CA at The Rose Bowl for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, the Tiger program has been nothing short of despondent. In a game for all the marbles that Auburn could have, should have but did not win by letting Florida State off the hook, Auburn set off in my lifetime a decade of disappointment. Still to this day the ramifications of that bitter loss reverberate within the program and continue to harbor misery among a faithful fanbase like some albatross of defeat hanging around Auburn football in a painful form of decaying mediocrity. For my brethren that proudly chant “War Eagle” as a rally cry while the icon of this country a bald eagle circles the stadium pregame, the symbolism of Auburn fans as the cursed ancient mariner now wandering the earth telling our pitiful story seems appropriate. The problem is Auburn fans did not murder the ancient bird, but year after year must carry the weight and stench of its death.
“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”
“Championships, Championship everywhere, but for Auburn to hoodwink”
Since the choking albatross was hung around Auburn’s neck, the Tigers have a regular season record of 73-48 from 2014 through that debacle last weekend against California at home. On the surface, an overall winning record of 60% seems a little better than average. I mean the Colorado States, Purdues and UABs of the world would love to be there. A warranted deeper dive and thought shows the absolute decline of Auburn football. Here are a few of those facts. Since 2014 Auburn’s bowl record is 2-7 with just one appearance in the SEC Championship Game in 2017 where the Tigers got blown of Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s field by Georgia 28-7. Within that appalling 2-7 bowl record AU biggest win is over Purdue in The Music City Bowl and was pushed around by the likes of Houston, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Wisconsin (again). Diving even deeper into Auburn’s overall record since 2014, a disturbing pattern has emerged over the last five years. Former head coach Gus Malzahn ended his tenure in 2020 and the Tigers record from 2020 through this past Saturday is 24-25. That is below average for the folks at home keeping score. It is still a mystery if Auburn can buck that trend this season with ten guaranteed games left on the schedule.
At this point if you are not in the bathroom vomiting and can stomach a little more, how about we dive a little deeper into the despair? Auburn football has not beaten a ranked opponent since October 30th of the 2021 season when #10 ranked Ole Miss led by Lane Kiffin came to Jordan-Hare and the Tigers cruised to a 31-20 win. At that point of disgraced former coach Bryan Harsin’s first season, the Tigers were sitting at 6-2 and then proceeded to lose five straight games capped by a meltdown against Houston in the Birmingham Bowl. It would be less than a year after that embarrassment for former AU great, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, to take over as interim coach and salvage what was left of the 2022 season plus program. Speaking of coaches, since Auburn paid former coach Gene Chizik 7.5 million dollars to not coach at Auburn any longer in late 2012, the Tigers have hired three different head coaches and had two interims in between including Kevin Steele and Carnell Williams. That is a grand total of five head coaches in ten years. Gus Malzahn was paid 21.7 million to exit stage left in 2020 while Bryan Harsin was paid 15.3 million to do just the same in 2022. Not including what was paid to Kevin Steele and Cadillac for bridging the gaps, Auburn University has paid 37 million dollars in buyouts to be terrible just in five years! Who was negotiating these contracts and better yet, who approved them?
Chew on this a minute Auburn fans. Since the miracle win against UGA inside Jordan-Hare in 2013, the Tigers have one, that is right one, win in The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry with Georgia. Auburn is 1-10 against The Bulldogs and have lost seven straight dating back to the 2017 SEC Championship Game drubbing. Georgia now leads an overall series once totally controlled by Auburn 64-58-8.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiu7pYUV7Jk
The Iron Bowl has been a touch more palatable to Tiger fans at the same time. Auburn is 2-8 against Nick Saban and the Tide dating back to 2013 and “The Kick Six”. Although Auburn is only on a four-game losing streak to Alabama, the Tigers were remarkably close to two more wins inside Jordan-Hare Stadium as Alabama pulled rabbits out of hats multiple times to survive. That said, hand grenades and horseshoes get close, and just like 2013, a win is a win. Alabama now leads that overall series 50-37-1 which is a lot closer than it has felt at times while Saban was in Tuscaloosa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjKOuuL9gk
How did we get here? In a ten-year period, Auburn football has about broken the spirit of several longtime supporters. The pocketbook too! Every year ticket prices, parking passes, tailgating, hot dogs, programs, access, and everything else associated with the fans get increasingly more expensive. Some of that naturally can be blamed on these horrible inflationary times. That has been tragically compounded at Auburn not by wild success and the demand to participate that it economically brings, but by self-inflicted wounds. You know, someone must pay for that 37 million in buyouts that we are aware of, and we all know who ultimately suffers. Very few things in life including BS ever flow uphill.
Despite the pain of the past and the most recent from a mindboggling loss to the Cal Bears at home, there is hope. The faith of Auburn fans has carried the university through tough times and the support continues every year from Auburn faithful despite always being the whipping boy for powers to be. Remember, when the rumors of nefarious activity circulated in early 2022 regarding Bryan Harsin behavior as head coach at Auburn, then President Jay Gogue concluded the matter by blaming “social media”. Also known as the fans.
https://ocm.auburn.edu/newsroom/news_articles/2022/02/20220211-football-program.pdf?auhphdln
“Unfortunately, social media fueled wild speculation, substantial misinformation and unfair
attacks on good Auburn people. A feeding frenzy resulted that was beyond anyone’s control.
We regret the concern, anger, frustration or hurt that this caused any member of the Auburn Family."
What really happened?
Gogue went on in that statement to not only call anonymous attacks on Harsin and his family “reckless” and a “feeding frenzy.” Any rational person would agree but any rational person would also question where those original “rumors” came from and more importantly, who started them? Is it out of the realm of possibility to ask if they were professionally planted? Nevertheless, the fans who take the blame for every failure continue to always support the program. You disagree? Look at current Auburn football recruiting under Hugh Freeze and tell me NIL coffers at Auburn are not full. Look at white gate tailgating at Auburn and tell me fans have given up on their Tigers. The parking lots are full, the stadium is full, the coffers despite massive buy outs are full, the fans have not given up and never will yield despite the past ten years of disappointment. War Eagle! We will never give up on Auburn University!
“Let me be clear — our university, the administration and the entire Board of Trustees stand behind Coach Harsin and are ready to help him succeed as the leader of our football program. It is my hope and expectation that the entire Auburn Family will join us in uniting behind Coach Harsin. With that support, I have no doubt that Auburn Football’s best days are ahead.”
Bryan Harsin was fired eight months later in October on the 31st.