re: Alabama with only 8 NC's

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Their Hall of Fame coach was Yale grad Mike Donahue (pictured), who went 105-35-5 at Auburn 1904-1906 and 1908-1922. They were champions of the South in 1913 and 1919 (splitting the last with Alabama). Dan McGugin started coaching at Vanderbilt the same year Donahue started at Auburn, and Vandy had easily dominated the South 1904-1912, with Sewanee 2nd and Auburn 3rd during that time. Auburn overtook Vanderbilt and Sewanee this season, but their stay at the top of the South was just 2 years, as Georgia Tech dethroned them in 1915 and outplayed them for years thereafter.

As you can see, 6 of their 8 opponents had winning records, 2 lost only to Auburn, and the last 5 teams they played were a combined 30-9-3, 30-4-3 when not playing Auburn, and 29-3-1 when not playing Auburn or each other. That's pretty impressive, and it's why some computer programs like Auburn as #1 for 1913. And Auburn performed strongly against that schedule, winning just one game by a touchdown or less (7-0 over LSU).

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