re: Bigger Rivalry? Michigan and Ohio State or Auburn and Alabama?

Michigan and Ohio State

quote:

---

I'm enjoying the discussion as well. My son and I plan on getting down to an Alabama home game in the next year or two. We had an absolute blast with the Alabama fans at the Sugar Bowl.

---

I was there as well, and it was a blast. For being as successful as OSU is, they could have some horrible fans, but they don't. Every fanbase has bad fans but for the most part, OSU's are awesome. They were great at the game and even on message boards leading up to it.

During the 1907 state legislature session, a debate surfaced to move the land-grant college from Auburn to Birmingham. Then later in that same session, the legislature approved the first appropriation to Auburn some 35 years after it first opened its doors, for a promised $800,000. The college only received a third of that appropriation, while the University of Alabama remained fully funded through the State Board of Education. The state legislature, still controlled by University of Alabama alumni, still appeared intent on letting Auburn "dry out".[7] Meanwhile, tensions carried over to the football rivalry when, after both 1906 and 1907 contests, Auburn head coach Mike Donahue threatened to cancel the series if Alabama head coach "Doc" Pollard continued employing his elaborate formations and shifts.[8] The series was suspended after the 1907 game. The official reasons being that the schools could not come to agreement over the amount of travel expenses to be paid to players, as well as from where officials for the game should be obtained.[9] It is also reasons that the University of Alabama halted the series in an attempt to further delegitimize the existence of Auburn.

Attacks on Auburn's existence continued by the legislature. In 1915, appropriations to Auburn were withheld, which continued at times through the 1930s.

In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools".[12] The schools were disinclined to resume the series despite the passage of the resolution, since it did not have the effect of law. However, the Alabama State Legislature threatened to withhold state funding from the schools unless they did resume the rivalry. With that threat in mind, Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series.


TL;DR I know... Long story short, Bama refused to play Auburn for all those years because they didn't want to legitimize the institution. To that point, the Alabama government (consisting of mostly Alabama alumni) had tried every means possible to undercut and shut down Auburn, including cutting their state funding in half. They were literally forced by the Alabama House of Representatives to play eachother after that, with the threat of both institutions losing state funds if they didn't.

THAT sounds to me like a pretty heated rivalry, and just about the equivalent of tOSU and Michigan having a mini-war against eachother for a short time. This went on over the first 60 years of Auburn's existence.

quote:

---

During the 1907 state legislature session, a debate surfaced to move the land-grant college from Auburn to Birmingham. Then later in that same session, the legislature approved the first appropriation to Auburn some 35 years after it first opened its doors, for a promised $800,000. The college only received a third of that appropriation, while the University of Alabama remained fully funded through the State Board of Education. The state legislature, still controlled by University of Alabama alumni, still appeared intent on letting Auburn "dry out".[7] Meanwhile, tensions carried over to the football rivalry when, after both 1906 and 1907 contests, Auburn head coach Mike Donahue threatened to cancel the series if Alabama head coach "Doc" Pollard continued employing his elaborate formations and shifts.[8] The series was suspended after the 1907 game. The official reasons being that the schools could not come to agreement over the amount of travel expenses to be paid to players, as well as from where officials for the game should be obtained.[9] It is also reasons that the University of Alabama halted the series in an attempt to further delegitimize the existence of Auburn.

Attacks on Auburn's existence continued by the legislature. In 1915, appropriations to Auburn were withheld, which continued at times through the 1930s.

In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools".[12] The schools were disinclined to resume the series despite the passage of the resolution, since it did not have the effect of law. However, the Alabama State Legislature threatened to withhold state funding from the schools unless they did resume the rivalry. With that threat in mind, Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series.


TL;DR I know... Long story short, Bama refused to play Auburn for all those years because they didn't want to legitimize the institution. To that point, the Alabama government (consisting of mostly Alabama alumni) had tried every means possible to undercut and shut down Auburn, including cutting their state funding in half. They were literally forced by the Alabama House of Representatives to play eachother after that, with the threat of both institutions losing state funds if they didn't.

THAT sounds to me like a pretty heated rivalry, and just about the equivalent of tOSU and Michigan having a mini-war against eachother for a short time. This went on over the first 60 years of Auburn's existence.

---

You're stupid if you think that. Tennessee sucks

sounds like a really stupid fricking reason to not play each other if youre such heated rivals.

Historicallly it is Mich v OSU, but the last 10 years to 15 years, it's been Bama v Auburn.

Michigan being so terrible has tarnished the legacy of that rivalry just a tad

quote:

---

It appears to me that the Auburn and Alabama rivalry is a bigger deal to the fans than the players.

---

Why don't you ask Eltoro and his brother Charlie?

Being from Ohio and going to Auburn, I have lived both sides. I know alumni, fans, and players from all schools as well. As far as size of fanbase and impact on the national media, OSU/Mich is bigger. Two very large populations of Alumni and fans and the game usually determined the Rose bowl participant.

However, as far as intensity, rabidness, etc... the iron bowl is better.

As far as how big the are in their general regions, Iron Bowl is by far bigger. But nationally the opposite because of the populations and rose bowl

quote:

---

How well did Beanie do in the Champ. game against LSU?

---

20 carries for 146 yards (7.3 ypc) and 1 td is a pretty productive game.