Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue


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Posted by Jerry Hinnen

Auburn and Alabama, as you may already be aware, don't always get along. Or, more accurately, under no circumstances get along.

But it turns out that when their conference parents at the SEC ask (or demand), they can occasionally play nice. That's the lesson to learn from the Tigers' just-announced late-season 2011 schedule adjustment :

For the first time since 1963, the Tigers won't play Georgia and Alabama in back-to-back games; Auburn slipped in Samford to split them up.

Also, the change means AU's open date will fall before Georgia and not before Alabama. The SEC sought changes because six league teams enjoyed open dates before playing the Crimson Tide last season. Auburn agreed to work with the league, switching where Samford fell on the schedule.

The alteration will no doubt stick in the craw of Auburn fans who will see the league (and potentially the Auburn administration) as having caved to the Crimson Tide's demands. Not only had Alabama filed the grievance regarding the bye-week problem, but Nick Saban had specifically, vocally griped (or from the Auburn perspective, "whined") about the Tigers enjoying an off week before the Iron Bowl. (The Tide also countered in 2010 by scheduling first-year FCS program Georgia State for the week before, and moving the game to Thursday night ... giving them the closest thing to a bye without actually having one.) "If Alabama wanted the change, and Auburn didn't, why is the league taking their side?" is how the orange-and-blue argument will certainly go.

But there's also little doubt that something had to be done about Alabama's bye-week problem -- it didn't hurt their case that all three of their 2010 losses came to teams that had enjoyed the extra week of preparation -- and of the six teams that asked for a pre-Tide bye in 2010, clearly only a couple would get the same indulgence in 2011. The SEC decided Auburn wasn't one of those teams. In the end, there's not that much room for complaint, particularly since both teams (who'll square off against FCS competition the week before) will still enter the 2011 Iron Bowl on equal footing.

It's Auburn and Alabama, though. Whether it's fans, head coaches, administrators, whoever: there's going to be complaining.

Since: Oct 7, 2011	Posted on: October 14, 2011 2:40 am Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue I assumed it had been gonna be some uninteresting aged publish, but I'm glad I visited. I'll publish a website link to this webpage on my weblog.
Since: Aug 23, 2006	Posted on: May 1, 2011 11:14 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue BamaFireFighter, Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me of all those numbers you spouted at me, which ones actually happened in your lifetime? The words "since 1945" really don't do much for me. It doesn't seem very......um.....what's the word??? RELEVANT!!!
Since: Nov 12, 2010	Posted on: February 11, 2011 5:59 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue I can also "Google" the door swings both ways Infractions case: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Feb 18, 2002 8:50:08 AM The NCAA News The Division I Committee on Infractions has determined that the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, football program will be prohibited from participating in a bowl game for the next two years, primarily as the result of recruiting inducements by three representatives of the university's athletics interests that included payments of large sums of cash to a prospective student-athlete and his family and to another prospect's high-school football coach. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArc hive/2002/Division+I/infractions+ca se_+university+of+alabama,+tuscaloosa+-+2-18-02.html
Since: Feb 11, 2008	Posted on: February 11, 2011 3:31 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue ok i understand the bama fans frustration about this deal, but it is still whining. If you notice, no bama fan goes any farther back than 07 because if you go back to 98 bama is right in the middle of the pack (6th) as far as opponent BYEs are concerned. This happens to all teams when they are good (opponents will request their BYE then). I think it is ridiculous that bama can get this kind of special treatment, but it is probably just because they cried the loudest. I don't remember any team ever making the huge fuss about it that bama has this year and last year. It is also funny because one of those 3 losses to a team that had a BYE before them this year was when UA also had a BYE! how is that an advantage at all!? none of this is unfair either because everyone gets to at least somewhat choose their BYE. It is strategy, if Auburn waits until the bama game then they could not use it before LSU or AR. I find it somewhat pathetic and I am not surprised at all that UA fans act like they are persecuted or the only ones who have had to deal with these issues before. The rule probably needed to be changed but the whole additude of the UA fan base has been somewhat ridiculous
Since: Aug 30, 2006	Posted on: February 11, 2011 2:58 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue AUWartard, Yeah, Alabama's 13 National Championships, 26 Conference Titles, 58 Bowl Appearance, 33 Bowl Victories, and 538 Wins since 1945, compared to Awbarn's 1.5 National Championships, 11 Conference Titles, 36 Bowl Appearances, 21 Bowl Victores, and 474 Wins since 1945 isn't very impressive. How about that, I can "Google" also. You guys pay for one good season and suddenly you are the greatest program is college football history. Give me a break. We will see where you guys stand next year and the next several years. You got spurned by two prized recruits this year. If a 17 year old still views you as a little sister, just imagine what the more mature folks view you as.
Since: Oct 16, 2007	Posted on: February 11, 2011 1:21 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue I don't have a dog in this race, but I have to say that Alabama should not blame losing a game they were winning at home 24-0 on a bye week. IMO that falls squarly on the Alabama coaching staff and players. Alabama should have won that game with that huge lead at home and the fact that they didn't is what they should be concerned about, not whether or not they have a bye week.
Since: Aug 25, 2006	Posted on: February 11, 2011 12:49 pm Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue The facts: Auburn has had a bye week before the Iron Bowl every season since 2007. Also since 2007, Auburn has played a cupcake the week before UGA - a game which could easily be moved.Alabama was schedule to have four SEC opponents coming off a bye week in 2011. UGA had two. Five teams have one. Five teams including Auburn have 0. In 2010, Alabama had six opponents coming off a bye. LSU, UGA and Tennessee had one each. All else had 0. In 2009, Alabama had three, LSU two, no others with more than one. Put aside your personal feelings for Alabama and you have to agree with the unfairness of this issue.
Since: Jul 21, 2010	Posted on: February 11, 2011 9:47 am Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue Yeah, cause Georgia State wasn't also a bye..STFU you excuse making Midget..
Since: Feb 11, 2011	Posted on: February 11, 2011 6:43 am Auburn plays nice with Tide on scheduling issue If not having an open date before the Iron Bowl is no big deal, then why are all the Auburn fans complaining so loudly about not having one next year?
Since: Aug 23, 2006	Posted on: February 10, 2011 11:33 pm You Bammers make me laugh This is straight from SI's Lars Anderson: "Since 1981 the Tigers have more SEC titles (six to five), more undefeated seasons (three to two), more Iron Bowl wins (17 to 13), more overall victories (254 to 226), and more Heisman Trophy winners (two to one) than the Crimson Tide. Little Brother, by nearly every measure, is standing taller than Big Brother." If you guys think that AU having a bye week before the Iron Bowl had anything to do with the fact that you guys blew a 24-point lead then you guys are more delusional than I thought. Get over it!! Take your loss like a man. Learn from it. It makes your fan base look like a bunch of 3rd graders.

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