Best Auburn Team of the Decade?

[Zeek 16,649]

I’m going to cheat a little to include an extra team (the 2009-10 Auburn Tigers).

1. 2010-11 Auburn / Undefeated National Championship with a Heisman winner and some of the most thrilling games I’ve ever seen in person. If we had an average defense we would have been one of the most dominant teams in the history of college football. Damn was that defense opportunistic though!

2. 2013-14 Auburn / Honestly, with the miracles and everything else that went into this season it almost tops the above team. Unfortunately, we took our foot off the gas and let the Creminoles have a NC. Still, Nick Marshall is the second best quarterback Auburn has ever seen and people need to start respecting that!

3. 2019-20 Auburn / with the Minnesota game still to play this season could slide down a peg or two. Still, this is one of the biggest “what-if” seasons I can remember. We’re a few plays away from being undefeated in the playoffs with a freshman quarterback. One of the best defenses we’ve seen since 2004 and one of the grittiest teams we’ve had.

4. 2017-18 Auburn / ten wins but filled with disappointing moments and lackluster performances (UCF and UGA). Nothing was more disappointing than crushing the mutts and then letting them get us when it counted the most. Still, Stidham was fun and most of us didn’t realize just how much of a talent Kerryon Johnson was/is.

5. 2009-10 Auburn / bad losses coming against Kentucky and Arkansas but two scrappy performances against UGA and the Turds. The game against Northwestern was one of the most enjoyable bowl games I’ve been to and Ben Tate was a bammer.

6. 2016-17 Auburn / if we had an ounce of an offense this could have been a special year. Still, the defense was tremendous and we were in a lot of close games. We got hosed being paired with an Oklahoma we had no business playing but it was still a stout team. 

7. 2018-19 Auburn / we lost to freaking Tennessee but the offense did show some life and the defense showed what we could expect. If we had an OL it could have been another ten win season easily.

8. 2014-15 Auburn / we murdered LSU and had some competitive losses. Nothing to write home about but not a complete failure of a season.

9. 2011-12 Auburn / 70th in points per game and 79th in points allowed. We weren’t particularly good at anything.

10. 2015-16 Auburn / we lost to Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Mississippi State in the same season. If not for an easier bowl game we likely have a losing season.

11. 2012-13 Auburn / our only D1 win was New Mexico State. Perfect example of a coach losing a team completely. We laid down and died against both UGA and Bama.
 

As Tigers I look forward to the ROARING 20’s

[AUwent 3,748]

2 hours ago, Zeek said:

I’m going to cheat a little to include an extra team (the 2009-10 Auburn Tigers).

1. 2010-11 Auburn / Undefeated National Championship with a Heisman winner and some of the most thrilling games I’ve ever seen in person. If we had an average defense we would have been one of the most dominant teams in the history of college football. Damn was that defense opportunistic though!

2. 2013-14 Auburn / Honestly, with the miracles and everything else that went into this season it almost tops the above team. Unfortunately, we took our foot off the gas and let the Creminoles have a NC. Still, Nick Marshall is the second best quarterback Auburn has ever seen and people need to start respecting that!

3. 2019-20 Auburn / with the Minnesota game still to play this season could slide down a peg or two. Still, this is one of the biggest “what-if” seasons I can remember. We’re a few plays away from being undefeated in the playoffs with a freshman quarterback. One of the best defenses we’ve seen since 2004 and one of the grittiest teams we’ve had.

4. 2017-18 Auburn / ten wins but filled with disappointing moments and lackluster performances (UCF and UGA). Nothing was more disappointing than crushing the mutts and then letting them get us when it counted the most. Still, Stidham was fun and most of us didn’t realize just how much of a talent Kerryon Johnson was/is.

5. 2009-10 Auburn / bad losses coming against Kentucky and Arkansas but two scrappy performances against UGA and the Turds. The game against Northwestern was one of the most enjoyable bowl games I’ve been to and Ben Tate was a bammer.

6. 2016-17 Auburn / if we had an ounce of an offense this could have been a special year. Still, the defense was tremendous and we were in a lot of close games. We got hosed being paired with an Oklahoma we had no business playing but it was still a stout team. 

7. 2018-19 Auburn / we lost to freaking Tennessee but the offense did show some life and the defense showed what we could expect. If we had an OL it could have been another ten win season easily.

8. 2014-15 Auburn / we murdered LSU and had some competitive losses. Nothing to write home about but not a complete failure of a season.

9. 2011-12 Auburn / 70th in points per game and 79th in points allowed. We weren’t particularly good at anything.

10. 2015-16 Auburn / we lost to Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Mississippi State in the same season. If not for an easier bowl game we likely have a losing season.

11. 2012-13 Auburn / our only D1 win was New Mexico State. Perfect example of a coach losing a team completely. We laid down and died against both UGA and Bama.
 

As Tigers I look forward to the ROARING 20’s

2009 doesn't count. 2014 was definitely better than 2018, and both 2014 and 16 were better than 2009 anyhow. JMO.

Once again, I think that if 2014 A&M, 2016 Georgia and 2018 Tennessee go the other way, Gus would have never been on the hot seat--at least 9 wins in all but one season.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

30 minutes ago, AUwent said:

2009 doesn't count. 2014 was definitely better than 2018, and both 2014 and 16 were better than 2009 anyhow. JMO.

Once again, I think that if 2014 A&M, 2016 Georgia and 2018 Tennessee go the other way, Gus would have never been on the hot seat--at least 9 wins in all but one season.

I'm with you. The 2014 team is underrated here. The team was genuinely shocked by the end of the TAMU game (fumble on the 2 yard line, three-and-out, fumble on the 28 yard line) and never recovered. 7-1 and ranked third in the nation going into that game. Total gut punch loss. Finished 1-4 to close the year after the TAMU loss. If they pull that game out, it's a totally different season. I don't think there is any chance 8-1 Auburn no-shows against UGA the following week.

I'd have it:

1) 2010 - No question
2) 2013 - I have this one closer to third than first.
3) 2017 - This is the ultimate what-if year for me. If Kerryon doesn't get hurt at the end of the Iron Bowl, the SECCG is a completely different game.
4) 2019 - A very good team that was juuuuuust short of title-contention level.
5) 2014 - One of the best offensive teams in the history of the program.
6) 2018 - Stidham was a shell of himself without a run game to take the pressure off, but the defense was legit.
7) 2016 - The little Pettway/White run in the middle of the year was nice, but this wasn't a very good team.
8) 2011 - Pretty bland stuff from a team that couldn't hang with any quality team.
9) 2015 - The JJ6 era was brutal. Simple as that. This was the start of the defensive turnaround, but the offense was so bad.
10) 2012 - This may be the worst team in the school history. Not just this decade.

[AUwent 3,748]

12 minutes ago, mcgufcm said:

I'm with you. The 2014 team is underrated here. The team was genuinely shocked by the end of the TAMU game (fumble on the 2 yard line, three-and-out, fumble on the 28 yard line) and never recovered. 7-1 and ranked third in the nation going into that game. Total gut punch loss. Finished 1-4 to close the year after the TAMU loss. If they pull that game out, it's a totally different season. I don't think there is any chance 8-1 Auburn no-shows against UGA the following week.

I'd have it:

1) 2010 - No question
2) 2013 - I have this one closer to third than first.
3) 2017 - This is the ultimate what-if year for me. If Kerryon doesn't get hurt at the end of the Iron Bowl, the SECCG is a completely different game.
4) 2019 - A very good team that was juuuuuust short of title-contention level.
5) 2014 - One of the best offensive teams in the history of the program.
6) 2018 - Stidham was a shell of himself without a run game to take the pressure off, but the defense was legit.
7) 2016 - The little Pettway/White run in the middle of the year was nice, but this wasn't a very good team.
😎 2011 - Pretty bland stuff from a team that couldn't hang with any quality team.
9) 2015 - The JJ6 era was brutal. Simple as that. This was the start of the defensive turnaround, but the offense was so bad.
10) 2012 - This may be the worst team in the school history. Not just this decade.

I've been following Auburn football since (late) 2003, and it's still the single most devastating loss I've ever experienced. Thinking about it just makes me angry.

I disagree about 2016. A gameplan in Athens that wasn't completely idiotic would have gotten us 9 wins. Better than 2018 IMO, about on par with maybe just short of 2014. 2014 offense + 2016 defense = NC contender.

I can't really decide between 2011 and 2015 which was worse. At least 2015 could hang around with quality opponents sans LSU. 2011 was just insanely lucky.

[caleb1633 1,418]

5 hours ago, AUwent said:

I've been following Auburn football since (late) 2003, and it's still the single most devastating loss I've ever experienced. Thinking about it just makes me angry.

I disagree about 2016. A gameplan in Athens that wasn't completely idiotic would have gotten us 9 wins. Better than 2018 IMO, about on par with maybe just short of 2014. 2014 offense + 2016 defense = NC contender.

I can't really decide between 2011 and 2015 which was worse. At least 2015 could hang around with quality opponents sans LSU. 2011 was just insanely lucky.

Yes! The anomaly with the Gus era is that there is about 1 loss a year that, if it had gone the other way, would have completely changed the state of our program:

2013 vs FSU

2014 vs TAMU

2017 vs LSU or UGA

2019 vs LSU or UGA

Hopefully Chad Morris is the solution to getting over those major humps we face every season.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Hard to separate what was possible each year from what happened.

1. 2010
2. 2013
3. 2019- Basically the same as 2017.
4. 2017- See above.
5. 2014- Hard not to put this one spot higher because of the offense, and the defense was actually pretty good until midseason when things went off the rails. The LSU game that year was easily our most complete and impressive win of the decade.
6. 2016- We were a good team when we were healthy and Gus didn't go all Benny Hill on a top ranked team.
7. 2018
8. 2015- A LOT of issues beyond coaching or talent plagued this team. But the end result was a pretty bad season. 
9. 2011- 2012 started in October of this year
10. No need to say it out loud. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

1. 2010: First one in most of our lifetimes

2. 2013: If only Tre Mason hadn't scored so quickly!

3. 2017: If Kerryon had been health in the SECCG, we would have played for a NC. Not too disappointed about the bowl. Almost no one cared about that game, and our loss put an asterisk next to Bama's championship (UCF beat Auburn that beat Bama that somehow won a national championship. I don't think UCF was a really an NC caliber team, but us losing created just a little controversy around Bama's championship that year. ) Sluggish start to the regular season, but it ended wonderfully. I wish we had been able to finish the post season better though.

4. 2019: Not too upset about the loss to LSU, as they are a really good team this year. Frustrated as heck about the losses to UF (good game plan/bad execution) and UGA (bad game plan and execution). Also frustrated with the shape of our OL. If we did not have a freshman at QB OR had a better OL, we'd be in the playoff. Still, you can't complain about a 10 win season unless you want to sound like a Bama fan. That was also one of the most intense iron bowls I've ever seen.

5. 2014: Weird year. At the beginning of the year, the defense was decent and the offense was terrible. By the year's end, the offense would be one of the best in history (putting up the most points against Bama under Saban by any team until this year) and the defense was so bad that they couldn't stop a high school team. We also got robbed against MSU in what I still consider to be the worst officiated game I've ever seen. If not for the 4th quarter collapse against TAMU and the terrible showing the following week against UGA, this year might have been ranked higher. 

6. 2016: This season was book-ended by frustration. Gus's worst game plan to date came in the Clemson game, and that was the point that a lot of his continual naysayers got off the bus for the last time. I love that we were able to run the ball down everyone's throats the way we did that year, and the mid-season Pettway/KJ show was incredible. Hate that Sean White was hurt in 3 of the 4 biggest games of the season. If not for injury, we would have beaten UGA. I'm not sure if we would have beaten Bama or Oklahoma, but we would have been competitive in those games. Still, we were able to play in the Sugar Bowl, which is an accomplishment. 

7.2011- I didn't hate this season, but, after coming off an NC the previous year, I see why others did. There were some fun games/moments here though including beating USCe in Columbia, the win over Florida, and Lutz's one handed catch against Ole Miss. Emory Blake had some phenomenal plays when he was healthy. Then of course, there was the throttling of Virginia on NYE with Trotter coming off the bench and playing the best game of his career. Getting blown out by Bama at home was a bummer though (and that was my last game in JHS as a student). 

8. 2018- With Stidham coming back and a stout D, this was  expected to be a good year. The absolutely abysmal OL play and the tension between Lindsey and Gus hurt our season. The loss to LSU took the air out of the program. I felt like the team was unmotivated after that bad call against LSU, and they never recovered. I also hate that we lost to a coach that thinks that kicking things on the sideline is appropriate way to motivate your players. Really the only positive was the bowl game.

9. 2015- I've never seen a player collapse under the pressure like Jeremy Johnson. I think this one was so upsetting because (like 2018) we should have been really good this year, and ended up with Gus's worst record to date. 

10. 2012- Bad Bad Bad. I did like seeing Wallace play though. 

 

Though it wasn't in this decade, I'll comment on 2009 anyway since it was brought up in the original post. .  Even though the record was meh and we had some disappointing losses during the season, there were some really fun moments with this one as well. I'll never forget the rain game against WVU. Even though we lost to UGA and Bama, both of those games were back yard brawls, and our really inconsistent defense was able to hold the heisman winner to almost no yards. The outback bowl that year was one of the most fun games I've ever watched. If I were to include it in the rankings, it would be somewhere around 2016. 

[Zeek 16,649]

The 2010 season is still so amazing. I stayed home all day that day and watched ESPN even when it started to loop. The intro video made me cry and reminded me that no matter who won someone had to lose. I almost hated that it had to be Oregon of all teams but I never doubted it was ours to win.

Kodi Burns getting a touchdown at receiver, Nick Fairley dominating their OL, Cam playing through injuries, and Wes Byrum finishing it all off after winning so many for us.

I only wish I could have gone to the game in person. 

[AUwent 3,748]

Best to worst (counting gaps between):

2010

2013



2017

2019



2014

2016



2018



2011
2015

 

2012

As a side note about 2017, I think that punt return TD against LSU was just as big a "what-if." I think we would've had a very good chance of making the playoffs at 11-2 even with the loss in the SECC. Yes 11-1 tOSU had jumped 11-2 PSU that beat them the previous year, but 2016 tOSU had a much more impressive resume of wins than 2017 UAT, and 2016 PSU's losses were much worse than what our 2 losses would've been in that case.

[shabby 1,956]

I rewatched much of the 2012 season to build gratitude. Lol.  It was painful

[Auctoritas 2,828]

I'm torn. I know that the 2010 team won the BCS, but I don't know if I would say it was a better team than the 2013 team. Cam gave a superhuman performance, but without him that team is probably 9 wins at best.

I think that the 2013 team was better as a team. I think it was more fun to watch because that offense just rolled over everyone and it wasn't just one guy outclassing the competition. 

I don't know if I could choose between the two for first place.

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

2010

2013

2017

2019

2014

2018

2016

2015

2011

2012

[twilli13 600]

20 hours ago, AUwent said:

Best to worst (counting gaps between):

2010

2013



2017

2019



2014

2016



2018



2011
2015

 

2012

As a side note about 2017, I think that punt return TD against LSU was just as big a "what-if." I think we would've had a very good chance of making the playoffs at 11-2 even with the loss in the SECC. Yes 11-1 tOSU had jumped 11-2 PSU that beat them the previous year, but 2016 tOSU had a much more impressive resume of wins than 2017 UAT, and 2016 PSU's losses were much worse than what our 2 losses would've been in that case.

Yeah I still have the pic of a clear clip on that Lsu punt return td. Man they've really gotten some huge calls against us the last 2 times we were at BR. 

[AUwent 3,748]

10 minutes ago, twilli13 said:

Yeah I still have the pic of a clear clip on that Lsu punt return td. Man they've really gotten some huge calls against us the last 2 times we were at BR. 

Of course, they'll never stop talking about 2006.

[twilli13 600]

13 hours ago, AUwent said:

Of course, they'll never stop talking about 2006.

Haha. Exactly. Just like the Mutts will never stop bringing up Scam Newton anytime someone mentions Kirby is cheating. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

On 12/27/2019 at 10:52 PM, Auctoritas said:

I'm torn. I know that the 2010 team won the BCS, but I don't know if I would say it was a better team than the 2013 team. Cam gave a superhuman performance, but without him that team is probably 9 wins at best.

I think that the 2013 team was better as a team. I think it was more fun to watch because that offense just rolled over everyone and it wasn't just one guy outclassing the competition. 

I don't know if I could choose between the two for first place.

What's crazy is that neither team had much NFL talent compared to other top teams those years. You're right, 2010 was so top-heavy. And 2013 was this wild collection of dudes (on offense) who just happened to be perfectly built to operate one very specific offense together. It's still so impressive to me that Gus figured that one thing out and won all those games doing it.

[NoALtiger 3,850]

On 12/27/2019 at 9:52 PM, Auctoritas said:

I'm torn. I know that the 2010 team won the BCS, but I don't know if I would say it was a better team than the 2013 team. Cam gave a superhuman performance, but without him that team is probably 9 wins at best.

I think that the 2013 team was better as a team. I think it was more fun to watch because that offense just rolled over everyone and it wasn't just one guy outclassing the competition. 

I don't know if I could choose between the two for first place.

Ha, take the starting QB out of virtually any team and their record will be worse. Not just ‘10 team. Take the once in a generation, Heisman trophy winning QB off any team and they will certainly not win as much. Because of that ‘10 greater than ‘13 for me. 
Of course they other way to look at it is to take Nick away from the ‘13 squad and see what ya got. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

4 hours ago, NoALtiger said:

Ha, take the starting QB out of virtually any team and their record will be worse. Not just ‘10 team. Take the once in a generation, Heisman trophy winning QB off any team and they will certainly not win as much. Because of that ‘10 greater than ‘13 for me. 
Of course they other way to look at it is to take Nick away from the ‘13 squad and see what ya got. 

I think the point was that the 2010 team just wasn't very good without Cam, but won a national championship with him.

In 2005, Vince Young had a season for the ages... on a team that sent a damn cruise ship full of kids to the NFL. Same for their opponent in the BCSCG that year. Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow are surrounded by draft picks. Not true of the 2010 Auburn team at all.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

2014 would prob be better than 13 if Lawson went right instead of left 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

5 hours ago, NoALtiger said:

Ha, take the starting QB out of virtually any team and their record will be worse. Not just ‘10 team. Take the once in a generation, Heisman trophy winning QB off any team and they will certainly not win as much. Because of that ‘10 greater than ‘13 for me. 
Of course they other way to look at it is to take Nick away from the ‘13 squad and see what ya got. 

You take Nick off 2013 Auburn it’s probably a 9 win team. You take Cam off 2010, it’s probably 2012 2 years early. 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

On 12/27/2019 at 9:52 PM, Auctoritas said:

I'm torn. I know that the 2010 team won the BCS, but I don't know if I would say it was a better team than the 2013 team. Cam gave a superhuman performance, but without him that team is probably 9 wins at best.

I think that the 2013 team was better as a team. I think it was more fun to watch because that offense just rolled over everyone and it wasn't just one guy outclassing the competition. 

I don't know if I could choose between the two for first place.

I'm with you, loving both 2013 and 2010.

I don't want to forget how exceptional Cam was off the field too...volunteering at Wrights Mill Road Elementary and mentoring a group of 4th/5th grade boys...long before he was a "thing." His enthusiasm and leadership were contagious to the team and the fanbase at large, especially under duress from every direction, press and reality wise. His skill married so well with the jelled o-line, so while he was definitely a star, others were definite kingmakers. Without them, I'd contend, he'd have struggled. Plenty a good quarterback has been well-well-contained by a prepped defense.

Add to it the expectations weren't infringing...it had been so long since Auburn had won an NC...there seemed a feeling of awe attached as we won game by game. Auburn kept rising and shining even with the hate from outside flowing.  It cemented the team, the coaches, the fanbase in an "us against the world" kind of way.  We didn't ask for it, but we dealt the hand we were given. 2013 was more, "We were just here a few years ago."

I think I'll give 2010 the edge personally because it was the year I really awoke to AU football...but 2013 was super-special as well. There are things to love about every group. This year's defense will be unforgettable.