A rare occurrence will take place on Saturday, as Auburn welcomes Penn State to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The contest will mark just the fourth time in history that a current member of the Big Ten conference has traveled to Auburn to play a football game. Before Penn State’s arrival on Saturday, Auburn had played Maryland, Nebraska, and Rutgers on campus, and currently holds a 2-1 advantage over Big Ten programs in games played at Auburn University.
The most recent Big Ten program to play a game at Auburn was in 1983 when No. 3 Auburn hosted No. 7 Maryland, which was led by future NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason. However, the rushing attack of Tommy Agee, Lionel James, and Bo Jackson ran wild over the Terrapins, as the three combined to rush for 439 yards in Auburn’s 35-23 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn has played a total of 25 games against Big Ten foes, holding a 12-11-2 record. Most of their meetings with Big Ten teams have come in bowl games. Since 2000, nine of Auburn’s 19 bowl appearances have been against current Big Ten teams.
The most recent bowl game against a Big Ten member was during the 2020 season when Auburn met Minnesota in the Outback Bowl. Golden Gophers’ quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim torched the Tiger defense in their 31-24 win. Morgan passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns, while Ibrahim rushed for an additional 140 yards.
How has Auburn fared historically against teams from the Big Ten? Take a look below: