Most Underrated Rivalry in SEC

[TuscaloosaTiger 289]

Sorry, I'm off a year. Nebraska came into AU in 1982 and won something like 41-7.  it was basically the same Nebraska team in 1983 that played for the NC.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,797]

Yeah Auburn’s best teams ran into some really talented massive programs at the peak of their powers. That’s a theme I notice often. 2010 and 2013 was really their best breaks, and they both might’ve came because of OSU

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

6 hours ago, Viper said:

How so? They could only muster 1 TD and 3 FGs against an overrated Virginia Tech team. 2010 did not play up to their standards either against Oregon, but Oregon was a FAR better team than 2004 VT.

Yes 2004 destroyed TN regular season, but had to stage off a comeback late in the SECCG rematch and gave up 228 rushing yards.

Scored nothing in the 1st half in Tuberville-Denny stadium. Yes, 2010 played pathetic in the 1st half in the same stadium too, but they did score a TD. And added 21 points in the 2nd half, the same point total as 2004 in the 2nd half.

Both scored late to beat LSU and held LSU on their final drive.

Too many statistical similarities between the two teams to say one would beat the other by double digits. 

I have always said 2004 would beat 2010, but it would be the closest game ever seen and I wouldn’t bet a nickel on it. As @clwn alluded to, it would go multiple OTs. And it would be glorious. 

2010 played a lot more close games than 2004.   Not to mention that 2010 had a propensity to get down big and then make a comeback.  USC, Clemson, UGA, Bama....all double-digit comebacks.

They just never ran into a defense as good as the 2004 team would have put on the field against them and I think that would have been the key difference.  Give that 2004 team a lead and they weren't blowing it.

I'd also say that the 2004 squad rose the occassion more often.  They beat 3 top 10 teams during the regular season, winning two of those by a combined 52 points.  2010 beat one top 10 team by 7 (to be fair, it was the only one they played).

2004 also soundly beat mediocre teams on a regular basis.  They had one single digit win vs unranked opponents (at Bama).  The next closest game vs unranked was an 18 point game.  Meanwhile the 2010 team had three wins in single digits vs unranked opponents, two of which came down to the literal last play (Clemson in OT and at Kentucky).

Long story short: 2004 was just a better team in my estimation.

Edited October 29, 2021 by Brad_ATX

[bigbird 60,580]

3 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

Long story short: 2004 was just a better team in my estimation.

Not many weaknesses for a D to exploit. It'd be though to scheme against.

[AUBwins 10,104]

21 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Cam had his Heisman moment against their NFL defense. Gus handed over playcalling to Lashlee in 2015, we beat them with 6 field goals, and Les Miles was fired. Gus was lucky to be let back on the bus in 2017. Our mediocre 2019 team almost beat their national title team at their house. 

If they get the next hire right, it could get right back to where it was. 

 

Saw an article that talked about Matt Rhule may be willing to come back to college. That would be the type of coach that could wake up that team in a consistent basis IMO

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

4 hours ago, AUBwins said:

Saw an article that talked about Matt Rhule may be willing to come back to college. That would be the type of coach that could wake up that team in a consistent basis IMO

Each of their last 3 coaches has won at national title.  LSU has to be by far the most attractive job opening of the year.

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Each of their last 3 coaches has won at national title.  LSU has to be by far the most attractive job opening of the year.

And Miles somehow crapped away a 2nd one. 

One day stories will be told about whatever happened to that 2011 LSU team before the BCSCG. One of the most dominant teams of all time and they don't even get off the bus for that game. 

They beat 3 top 5 teams by an average of 13.3 points. They beat the other 5 merely ranked teams by 27.2 a piece. And then they get blanked 21-0 in the title game against a team they'd already beaten in New Orleans. 

That just don't sit right.

[twilli13 600]

10 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

2010 played a lot more close games than 2004.   Not to mention that 2010 had a propensity to get down big and then make a comeback.  USC, Clemson, UGA, Bama....all double-digit comebacks.

They just never ran into a defense as good as the 2004 team would have put on the field against them and I think that would have been the key difference.  Give that 2004 team a lead and they weren't blowing it.

I'd also say that the 2004 squad rose the occassion more often.  They beat 3 top 10 teams during the regular season, winning two of those by a combined 52 points.  2010 beat one top 10 team by 7 (to be fair, it was the only one they played).

2004 also soundly beat mediocre teams on a regular basis.  They had one single digit win vs unranked opponents (at Bama).  The next closest game vs unranked was an 18 point game.  Meanwhile the 2010 team had three wins in single digits vs unranked opponents, two of which came down to the literal last play (Clemson in OT and at Kentucky).

Long story short: 2004 was just a better team in my estimation.

2004 IMO was definitely the better team overall, but the X factor would be Cam. The 2004 SEC had no one is the same stratosphere that defenses had to face as Cam. Not even close. Offenses overall I think were much better in the SEC and spread the field a lot more by 2010, which would have given that 2004 defense major issues I believe. They were the best defense in that moment in time, but changes in the modern game would have been tough to adapt to. I'm of course assessing them just as they were and the system we ran back then on defense. You take the same players and adjust the scheme to modern day offenses, it could likely be a different story. However, the difference is still Cam. There is no real scheme that could have stopped him that year. I could see him leading the 2010 team to a win. But I wouldn't put $ on it. Lol. Would have been a hell of a game!

Edited October 29, 2021 by twilli13

[Viper 3,139]

12 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

2010 played a lot more close games than 2004.   Not to mention that 2010 had a propensity to get down big and then make a comeback.  USC, Clemson, UGA, Bama....all double-digit comebacks.

They just never ran into a defense as good as the 2004 team would have put on the field against them and I think that would have been the key difference.  Give that 2004 team a lead and they weren't blowing it.

I'd also say that the 2004 squad rose the occassion more often.  They beat 3 top 10 teams during the regular season, winning two of those by a combined 52 points.  2010 beat one top 10 team by 7 (to be fair, it was the only one they played).

2004 also soundly beat mediocre teams on a regular basis.  They had one single digit win vs unranked opponents (at Bama).  The next closest game vs unranked was an 18 point game.  Meanwhile the 2010 team had three wins in single digits vs unranked opponents, two of which came down to the literal last play (Clemson in OT and at Kentucky).

Long story short: 2004 was just a better team in my estimation.

2004 had a better D and is why I would pick them over 2010, but by double digits over Cam and Fairley? Not a chance. There’s not a team in the history of CFB that could beat 2010 by double digits. Why? Because the best team I’ve ever seen was 2019 LSU. And they barely beat Bo Nix as a Freshman in BR.

Sure, 2010 got down by double digits often, but they always came back and won. Neither team gave up a 2nd half lead getting down by more than a TD. Oregon momentarily took the lead, but less than a TD. They were the #1 ranked offense, so understandably. 

VT and TN (SECCG) both make huge pushes in the 2nd half, which will always leave that doubt to me that 2004 could be beat. At the same token, 2010 ran roughshod over its rematch in their SECCG. 2004 went the opposite direction in their SECCG rematch.

2004 D was great, but so was the 2010 run D. 2004 would have to pass at a high statistical rate to beat 2010 (talking 350+ yards & 3-4 TDs) where 2010 was very vulnerable. But so did 2010 ARK, GA and bammer. And they all still lost.

Edited October 29, 2021 by Viper

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

31 minutes ago, Viper said:

2004 had a better D and is why I would pick them over 2010, but by double digits over Cam and Fairley? Not a chance. There’s not a team in the history of CFB that could beat 2010 by double digits. Why? Because the best team I’ve ever seen was 2019 LSU. And they barely beat Bo Nix as a Freshman in BR.

Sure, 2010 got down by double digits often, but they always came back and won. Neither team gave up a 2nd half lead getting down by more than a TD. Oregon momentarily took the lead, but less than a TD. They were the #1 ranked offense, so understandably. 

VT and TN (SECCG) both make huge pushes in the 2nd half, which will always leave that doubt to me that 2004 could be beat. At the same token, 2010 ran roughshod over its rematch in their SECCG. 2004 went the opposite direction in their SECCG rematch.

2004 D was great, but so was the 2010 run D. 2004 would have to pass at a high statistical rate to beat 2010 (talking 350+ yards & 3-4 TDs) where 2010 was very vulnerable. But so did 2010 ARK, GA and bammer. And they all still lost.

This is a fun debate by the way.

2004 being more dominant during their season and beating 3 top 10 teams during the regular season tips the balance for me.

You're always going to find one or two games in a season where a team played a close game.  That's why the totality matters to me and in that respect, the 2004 club was just better.  The amount of close games that 2010 played far outpaces the number that 2004 played.  Even that 2nd UT game you mentioned for 2004 finished as 10 point win.

2010's habit of falling behind would kill them against that 2004 team.  Cam was great, but never, and I mean never, ran up against a complete defense like the 2004 team had.

Not to mention that 2004 offense was extremely multiple and I think a bad matchup for the 2010 defense.  Nick was a one man wrecking crew, but there were 3 first round draft picks on that offense + a big and nasty o line + quality, sure handed receivers.

[kennypowers 1,431]

Guilty Pleasure - Egg Bowl ... those guys really put on a good fight or three every year.

[McLoofus 35,182]

I could see 2004 not beating 2010 by double digits because Tommy Tuberville just got super conservative in the 2nd half. No coach in history has ever enjoyed wars of attrition more. I could 100% see him holding the ball for an entire quarter against Cam Newton like he did against Spurrier. 

[aucanucktiger 1,804]

Yes and fwiw, only FSU did better than us agsinst Spurrier (the guy Gators try to discuss in the same sentence as Urban - who couldn't last second timeout his way to a W against us).

Edited October 29, 2021 by aucanucktiger

[Strychnine 1,804]

1 hour ago, Brad_ATX said:

This is a fun debate by the way.

2004 being more dominant during their season and beating 3 top 10 teams during the regular season tips the balance for me.

You're always going to find one or two games in a season where a team played a close game.  That's why the totality matters to me and in that respect, the 2004 club was just better.  The amount of close games that 2010 played far outpaces the number that 2004 played.  Even that 2nd UT game you mentioned for 2004 finished as 10 point win.

2010's habit of falling behind would kill them against that 2004 team.  Cam was great, but never, and I mean never, ran up against a complete defense like the 2004 team had.

Not to mention that 2004 offense was extremely multiple and I think a bad matchup for the 2010 defense.  Nick was a one man wrecking crew, but there were 3 first round draft picks on that offense + a big and nasty o line + quality, sure handed receivers.

 

I think 2004 was a more complete team, on offense and defense, and that defense would be the difference maker.  2004's defense would be more likely to find a way to stop 2010's offense, even if only just enough to win.  That defense only surrendered 20 or more points twice.

2004's offense lacked a Cam, but it also did not need one.  What it did have was three 1st rounders in the backfield, good receivers, and a good line.  2010 scored more points, but they also had to.  2010 had more exciting games that I would want to watch again, but 2004 was a more dominant team overall.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 hours ago, kennypowers said:

Guilty Pleasure - Egg Bowl ... those guys really put on a good fight or three every year.

Egg Bowl is my favorite non-Auburn game every year.

[Howard Roark 195]

On 10/28/2021 at 4:16 PM, SRBautigerfan said:

NCAA record book supports it but unfortunately there's no shortage of Auburn folks that don't think we should claim them for some reason.  

Well bollocks to them.  Claim 'em all and print the t-shirts.   In a couple of months they will all be buying them.  

[AUBwins 10,104]

A surprising very underrated rivalry was Vandy vs Ole Miss, back in Eli Manning days.  Those games would be the wildest 11 am games early in the season. 

[Viper 3,139]

5 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

This is a fun debate by the way.

2004 being more dominant during their season and beating 3 top 10 teams during the regular season tips the balance for me.

You're always going to find one or two games in a season where a team played a close game.  That's why the totality matters to me and in that respect, the 2004 club was just better.  The amount of close games that 2010 played far outpaces the number that 2004 played.  Even that 2nd UT game you mentioned for 2004 finished as 10 point win.

2010's habit of falling behind would kill them against that 2004 team.  Cam was great, but never, and I mean never, ran up against a complete defense like the 2004 team had.

Not to mention that 2004 offense was extremely multiple and I think a bad matchup for the 2010 defense.  Nick was a one man wrecking crew, but there were 3 first round draft picks on that offense + a big and nasty o line + quality, sure handed receivers.

It’s an all-timer debate. Needs its own sticky post.

I never saw 2004 TN as a Top 10 team. They snuck in the Top 10 by beating Ron Zook on a last second FG. Hell, Charles Barkley called that blowout and he never gets a prediction right. 

2010 ARK would have plastered 2004 TN with Ryan Mallett or Tyler Wilson. What 2010 AU did to ARK was as equally impressive as what 2004 AU did to TN. 65 points against a SEC West D is ridiculous.

The most rushing yards 2010 gave up was 187 to Clemson (most of it in the 1st half), 3rd game of the season, still finding their way. Even Cam was below pedestrian in the 1st half of that game. The entire team turned the corner the 2nd half of that game.

Fairley did it all, but the rest of that D-Line (Carter, Clayton, Blanc, Goggans, Eguae) were no joke. Remember the 1st half of the IB, Goggans & Blanc couldn’t play. 2nd half, the DL dominated. And many forget…if they needed a boost at pass rush, they had Corey Lemonier & Dee Ford off the bench. IMO, one of the best, if not the best, DL rotations in program history.

Oregon came into the BCSCG as the #3 rushing offense averaging 304 yards per game. 2010 held them to 75 rushing yards, 229 yards below their average.

2010 held Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to a TOTAL of 60 yards rushing.

I’m sure Caddy & Ronnie would have gotten a couple of cracks of daylight against 2010, but I’m guessing 100 rushing yards tops combined. 2004 bammer held the duo to 96 rushing yards combined. 2010’s run D was just as vital to going undefeated as Cam was.

I’m positive Borges would have no choice but to attack 2010 the same way everyone else had to…through the air. And no question, Campbell, Aromashodu, Obomanu, Taylor & Mix could do just that. But again, 2010 was used to overcoming that and faced just as potent passing offenses.

The 2010 bammer defense was just as stout as the 2004 AU defense.

2010 bammer gave up 13.5 PPG and 286.3 YPG.

2004 AU gave up 11.3 PPG and 277.6 YPG.

So a difference of 2.2 PPG and 8.7 YPG. Negligible.

[Viper 3,139]

18 hours ago, Strychnine said:

2010 scored more points, but they also had to.

That’s just it…2010 scored enough to beat everyone. 17 vs MSU in a low-scoring dog fight. 65 vs ARK in a historic offensive explosion. If you scored 99, Cam would find a way to score 100 if enough time remained. That’s really the only way you could beat him was pull ahead with the clock running out.

2010 didn’t need 56 points in the SECCG, but they did because they were just that potent.

[Viper 3,139]

20 hours ago, McLoofus said:

 

I could see 2004 not beating 2010 by double digits because Tommy Tuberville just got super conservative in the 2nd half.

This. 2010 was accustomed to being down double digits. 2004 was accustomed to being up double digits, but would Tubershell and let TN and VT, two pedestrian offenses back into it.

A historic 2010 AU offense would roar from behind like they always did.

Down 24-0 at Tuberville-Denny against an equally good defense as 2004 AU? Pffft. Nothing but a speed bump.

Not a chance in hell 2004 beats 2010 by double digits. Tubershell always held that offense back.