Very few rivalries compare to the annual game played between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide in terms of intensity and the effects on the residents of its state for 364 days out of the year.
The Athletic recently released its ranking of college football rivalries, with the Iron Bowl taking the No. 2 spot behind the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan. Scott Dochterman of The Athletic details the rivalry by pointing out how important each result is and how it has impacted several SEC and National Championship races.
Every traditional in-state rivalry is filled with emotion. Then there is Auburn-Alabama. No college sports rivalry consumes an entire state like this one. The Iron Bowl permeates nearly every aspect of life in Alabama, and its national impact regularly exceeds its hyper-local importance. That’s why it’s greater than every rivalry save for one.
The intense in-state rivalry is the best in the nation, according to The Athletic, with no other in-state rivalry placing in the top five. The next in-state rivalry behind the Iron Bowl is Miami’s bout with Florida State at No. 7, followed by Florida vs. Florida State at No. 9. In all, 42 in-state rivalries made the top 100 list for this year, with USC-UCLA and Texas-Texas A&M joining the top 20 alongside the aforementioned rivalries.
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Auburn will aim to win its first game against Alabama this decade in 2025. The Crimson Tide owns a five-game winning streak over the Tigers since Auburn’s last win in 2019, a 48-45 thriller at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football: The Athletic recognizes Iron Bowl as a top rivalry
