Who says Bama isn't in decline?

[WEGLATL 0]

Interestingly enough, since the 1992 national

championship, Alabama is 3-18-1 against Top 10 teams;

Auburn is 14-17;

Since the 1999 SEC Championship, Alabama is 0-7

against top 10 teams and with their bowl game will

extend their streak to 62 straight games without a win

over a top 10 opponent; This is second only to the 86

game streak from Game 9 of the 1953 season against

Georgia Tech to the 1961 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas.

During that same stretch Auburn is 10-6 against top 10

teams;

It took Bryant 163 games or 14 full seasons

(1958-1971) to have 10 top 10 wins under his belt; he

got his 10th win against Auburn at the close of the

1971 season.

Auburn has beaten 10 top 10 teams in 64 games and 5

full seasons; this is not to say that Tuberville and

Bryant are remotely similar but it does point out just

how tough it has gotten in the SEC and just how much

work Alabama has in front of it to get back to the top

5 teams on a regular, consistent basis . . . the

margin for error these days is very, very slim.

Against ranked teams, the trends for Bama are

otherwise alraming:

1953-1982: 46-27-3

1983-1992: 22-23-2

1993-1999: 11-15-1

2000-present: 4-19 (current 10 game losing streak);

The decade before the national championship of 1992

against ranked opponents:

22-19-2

The decade after: 15-34-1

this 10 game losing streak to ranked opponents is the

second longest ranked opponent losing streak in

Alabama history surpassed only by the infamous 13 game

losing streak compiled by red Drew and Ears himself

from 1953 to early in 1958;

Auburn against ranked teams during the same periods:

1953-82: 33-50-4 (Jordan 31-36-3)(Barfield 2-9-1) (Dye

0-5)

1983-92: 20-19-3

1993-99: 7-13

2000-present: 14-11

Auburn since 1993 against ranked teams: 21-24

Alabama since 1993 against ranked teams: 15-34-1

Alabama against top 10 teams:

1953-82: 27-17

83-92: 9-9

1993- 1999: 3-11-1

00-present: 0-7

Auburn against top 10 teams:

83-92: 11-10-2

93-99: 4-11

00-present: 10-6

Auburn since 2000 against Top 10: 10-6; Alabama: 0-7

Auburn since 1992 against op 10: 14-17; Alabama:

3-18-1

The records in the SEC since Alabama's miracle run in

1999:

1. Tennessee 30-10

2. Auburn 29-11

Georgia 29-11

Florida 29-11

5. LSU 28-12

6. Ole Miss 20-20

7. Arkansas 19-21

South Carolina 19-21

9. Alabama 18-22

10. Miss. State 9-31

11. Kentucky 6-34

12. Vanderbilt 3-37

Interesting when you compare where they were from 1993

through 1999:

1. Florida 50-6

2. Tennessee 47-9

3. Alabama 37-18-1

4. Auburn 32-23-1

5. Georgia 28-27-1

Miss. State 28-27-1

7. LSU 25-30-1

8. Arkansas 26-29-1

9. Ole Miss 22-34

10. Kentucky 19-37

11. South Carolina 16-39-1

12. Vanderbilt 8-48

Since the SEC Championship in 1999, Alabama is:

1-4 against LSU,

1-4 against Auburn

1-4 against Tennessee

0-2 against Georgia

2-3 against Arkansas

3-2 against Ole Miss

0 appearances in the SEC Championship game; 2 bowl

games (win over Iowa State, loss to Minnesota)

During that same stretch from 1999, Auburn is:

4-1 against Alabama

3-2 against Georgia

3-2 against LSU

3-0 against Tennessee;

3-2 against Arkansas

4-1 against Ole Miss;

2 SEC Championship game appearances; 5 bowl games (3-2

with wins over #8 Virginia Tech, #9 Penn State,

Wisconsin; losses to Michigan and North Carolina);

Finally, another couple of thoughts to consider:

During Alabama's incredible streak from 1991 to 1993

where they won 30 games, they faced a grand total of

three, count them , three (3) top 10 teams.

Did you know that in each of Alabama's last three

undefeated regular seasons (79, 92 and 94) not one of

those teams had to face a top 10 team the entire

regular season?

Of Alabama's 9 undefeated regular seasons

(61,64,66,71,73,74,79,92,94):

Alabama faced two (2) top 10 teams 3 times (64,71 and

73)

Alabama faced only one (1) top 10 team 1 time (1974)

Alabama faced ZERO top ten teams 5 times

(61,66,79,92,94)

Alabama has not had an undefeated regular season when

it has faced at least one top 10 opponent since 1974;

Also, 2005 will be the first season in 53 (1953) years

that Alabama has had to play an SEC schedule WITHOUT

either a Kentucky or Vanderbilt on it.

[auferg 0]

I'm exhausted after reading all that...but great information.

[CrimsonPirate 0]

We were in decline. We'll prolly never be the dominate team we were back in the day, but I believe we will return to challenge for the SEC in the not-to-distant future. JMHO, of course.

[The Prowler 1]

We were in decline. We'll prolly never be the dominate team we were back in the day, but I believe we will return to challenge for the SEC in the not-to-distant future. JMHO, of course.

139994[/snapback]

As long as Hula is the Head Coach at bammer, they'll never Challenge for the SEC or even the Western Division.......Now, if he hires an OC that knows more about Play calling than him and a DC that thinks making an Offense go three and out is just as good as getting an Interception, is Totally Crazy......Then maybe they'll compete for the Western, JMHO......Coach Hula is a pretty good Recruiter, and that's about it. Also, the Western Division Title will have to go through Auburn, from now on.

[WarTim 3,457]

We were in decline. We'll prolly never be the dominate team we were back in the day, but I believe we will return to challenge for the SEC in the not-to-distant future. JMHO, of course.

139994[/snapback]

You may be correct, but, please provide REASONS for this "belief" to be possible.

Thanks in advance.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

Of course Bama has declined. There is no way they could win in the 80's 90's and 2000's like they did in the 70's and 60's. No one team could win and keep winning for 50 years. Thats crazy to think that they could. Eventually I think they will pick back up, but its a down time for them. AU has its down times too, its nothing new.

[GoAU 1,612]

Fun information. I don't blame Bama fans for being optimistic about their future, they love their school as much as we love Auburn, they're just a little misguided

[tombigbeetiger 223]

and stupid

[EXPLAYER14 0]

During Alabama's streak from 1991 to 1993

where they won 30 games, they faced a grand total of

three, count them , three (3) top 10 teams.

Did you know that in each of Alabama's last three

undefeated regular seasons (79, 92 and 94) not one of

those teams had to face a top 10 team the entire

regular season?

Of Alabama's 9 undefeated regular seasons

(61,64,66,71,73,74,79,92,94):

Alabama faced two (2) top 10 teams 3 times (64,71 and

73)

Alabama faced only one (1) top 10 team 1 time (1974)

Alabama faced ZERO top ten teams 5 times

(61,66,79,92,94)

Unbelievable information. Thank you. Tells me a lot about their MNC's. That's downright embarassing!

[DKW 86 7,481]

I wonder if you could also factor in the 8 game bowl losing streak into that. They lost from 1968? until 1976.

Bear was a great coach, no doubt. But the Tide also had problems while he was there. The bowl losing streak was too much and would have likely cost him his job if the Internet had been around, IMHO.

[AuNuma1 1]

Hehe...the bammars around my office are parading around today's B'ham sports section. I don't need any stats to confirm the decline.