The SEC has received a facelift this summer by adding former Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas to the conference. As the Sooners and Longhorns enter the conference, college football fans can expect to see old rivalries rekindled while new rivalries form.
As the landscape shifts, CBS Sports has re-ranked all of the SEC’s top rivalries, including Auburn’s rivalries with Alabama and Georgia. Auburn’s representation begins at No. 2 with the Iron Bowl.
Will Backus of CBS Sports identifies Auburn’s rivalry with Alabama not by being the oldest, but as the rivalry that has produced some of college football’s best moments in recent memory.
Though it may not be as ancient as other entries on this list, few rivalries have produced as many memorable moments as the Iron Bowl. From Chris Davis’ kick-six to Isaiah Bond’s miraculous fourth-down catch in Alabama’s most recent win against Auburn, the Iron Bowl has given fans a feast of highlights that will be shown for decades to come. These two in-state foes cannot stand one another, and an Iron Bowl win means a whole lot more than anything else in the regular season.
Next up for Auburn is The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry with Georgia at No. 5. Georgia’s recent run of success has allowed the Bulldogs to create separation in the all-time series record, but the longevity of the rivalry makes it one of the sports’ best.
As the nickname suggests, there’s considerable history between these two teams. It’s tied with North Carolina-Virginia (the South’s Oldest Rivalry) for the second-most played series in the FBS behind only Wisconsin and Minnesota’s annual battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Not only is it old, Auburn vs. Georgia is typically hotly contested; though the Bulldogs have ruled the modern era, one doesn’t have to travel too far back to find two heavyweights trading annual blows.
The Iron Bowl drops to No. 2 in CBS Sports’ rivalry rankings as the Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas takes the top spot. The Egg Bowl (Ole Miss-Mississippi State) and The World’s Largest Cocktail Party (Georgia-Florida) round out the top five in Backus’ rankings.
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