Iron Bowl Day!

The Egg Bowl. The Cocktail Party. The Lone Star Showdown. All great rivalry games, all intensely important to the Schools and States involved.

Then there’s the Iron Bowl, the rivalry game by which all others are judged—and invariably fall short. Sorry, not sorry, kids.

I’ve been told, and I’m inclined to believe it without bothering to verify it, that the National Championship has been on the line more times at the Iron Bowl than any other rivalry game. How many times? I don’t know—a lot.

I do know that the sportscasters for the Texas/Texas A&M game last night were saying that if Alabama loses tonight, Ole Miss goes to the SEC Championship. So, right now, there are a lot of people in Mississippi pulling for the Tigers.

With an SEC Championship on the line, as a stepping stone to the National playoffs? This is one of those years.

The Iron Bowl has also given us what is arguably the greatest play in college football history: the Pick Six. Long before that, there was Punt, Bama, Punt. Epic plays in epic games—and that’s just how we like it.

Some of us remember those epic games in Legion Field—like when The Bear’s Tide beat Pat Dye’s Tigers to break Amos Alonzo Stagg’s record to become the winningest Coach in history. And, some of us remember the very next year, when Pat Dye’s Tigers gave The Bear his last defeat.

Some of us were wearing a wool band uniform and marched on the field for both of those games—and one was much happier than the other.

The Alabama/Auburn rivalry isn’t without its dark side. The poisoning of the Toomer’s Oaks by an unhinged Alabama fan marked an epic low for fan behavior.

When Paul Finebaum gets into the Senate race, I’m sure he’ll be asked about that.

But today, Alabama is closed. We’re sorry, please come back later. We’re busy. Leave a message.

Today is the Iron Bowl—the single most important sporting event of the year. Period. Full stop. All the coaching drama this year hasn’t dimmed that in the slightest.

But regardless of which team wins tonight, the sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning, and life will go on.

Until next year….

Dr. Bill Chitwood is the Managing Editor of ALPolitics.com and an alumnus of Auburn University and the Auburn University Marching Band.

Opinions do not reflect the views and opinions of ALPolitics.com. ALPolitics.com makes no claims nor assumes any responsibility for the information and opinions expressed above.