4 Key Ingredients That Have Contributed To Auburn Tigers Excellence
If you have heard the fight song "War Eagle," then you have unmistakably witnessed an Auburn Tigers football game. Also known as the arch rival of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tigers have achieved enormous success in NCAA football.
If you have heard the fight song "War Eagle," then you have unmistakably witnessed an Auburn Tigers football game. Also known as the arch rival of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tigers have achieved enormous success in NCAA football. That includes a 1957 ranking by the Associated Press, as the top football team in the nation. While Auburn's legacy certainly involves a winning tradition, it is only one aspect of Auburn Tigers football:
1. A history of high rankings in polls
The numbers do not lie. Various polls have ranked the Auburn Tigers as one of the greatest football squads of all time. The Associated Press has ranked Auburn as #11, in its final AP Polls. Meanwhile, the College Football Research Group has ranked Auburn #14, in its list of all-time greatest college football teams. Furthermore, the AP Poll and Coaches Poll have ranked Auburn in their final list of top 20 teams, during 33 seasons. All of these statistics are particularly impressive, considering that currently 119 schools are included in the NCAA's Division I-A. That places Auburn in the top 10% of final AP Polls.
2. One "official" national championship
As any dedicated fan of NCAA football knows, the term "national champion" has until recently, been somewhat disputed-due to the lack of a championship game, and split polls. Officially, Auburn claims one national championship team: the 1957 squad that finished the season with a 10-0 record. However, Auburn has had several outstanding teams throughout its history, which were not officially "national champions":
* 1914: Outscored its opponents by a whopping 193-0.
* 1983: Commendable 11-1 record and beat Michigan in the Sugar Bowl (9-7)
* 2004: 13-0 record and ranked #2 in the AP poll and Coaches Top 25 poll
3. The birth of an eagle-War Eagle, that is
Where did "War Eagle," the fight song of the Auburn Tigers, originate? In truth, it is unclear, and several theories exist. One of the oldest ones involves the Battle of the Wilderness, which occurred in Virginia during the Civil War. The battle involved General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union, and General Robert E. Lee of the Confederates. The battle resulted in heavy causalities for both sides. Furthermore, neither side earned a strategic victory through the battle.
4. Jackson's and Sullivan's Heisman Trophies
Quarterback Pat Sullivan was the first Auburn player to win the Heisman Trophy Award (1971). During his college career, Sullivan passed for nearly 6,300 yards and 57 touchdowns, and even personally rushed for 18 touchdowns!
Before playing the professional sports of football and baseball, Jackson was a star football player at Auburn. In addition to playing football there, he also played baseball and ran track! Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.
From Bo Jackson to the 1957 National Championship team, the Auburn Tigers epitomize NCAA football excellence. Team spirit has paralleled the team's history of winning. Use Auburn Tigers merchandise to cheer on the team, as they leap towards a second NCAA football title.
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