Auburn Tigers football

The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in the sport of American football. The Auburn Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Auburn officially began competing in intercollegiate football in 1892. The Tigers joined the Southeastern Conference in 1932 as one of the inaugural members of the conference and the Tigers began competing in the West Division when the conference divided in 1992. Auburn officially claims two national championships (1957, 2010), seven perfect seasons, 13 conference championships, 10 divisional championships, and has made 38 bowl appearances, including eight historically major or BCS bowl berths (Sugar, Orange, BCS Championship). The Tigers have the 13th most wins in FBS history with over 700 victories and have finished ranked in the Top 25 of either the AP or Coaches polls 37 times, including 18 top ten finishes (ranked 12th nationally for AP poll top ten finishes). The Tigers have produced three Heisman Trophy winners: quarterback Pat Sullivan in 1971, running back Bo Jackson in 1985, and quarterback Cam Newton in 2010. Auburn has also produced sixty-six consensus All-American players, many all-conference team selections including All-SEC player and All-SEC academic, multiple MVPs and Rhodes Scholar athletes, and other academic honors. The College Football Hall of Fame has inducted a total of 12 individuals from Auburn, including 8 student-athletes and four head coaches: John Heisman, Mike Donahue, Ralph "Shug" Jordan, and Pat Dye. Ralph "Shug" Jordan, who coached from 1951 to 1975 and led Auburn to its first national championship in 1957, won a total of 176 games, the most by any Auburn coach. Former head coach Gene Chizik led the Tigers to their second claimed national championship and the school's first consensus national title in 2010. Auburn's home stadium is Jordan–Hare Stadium, which opened in 1939 and becomes Alabama's fifth largest city on gamedays with a capacity of 87,451. Auburn's archrival is in-state foe Alabama. The Tigers and Crimson Tide meet annually in the Iron Bowl, one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. The Tigers also maintain rivalries with SEC foes Georgia and LSU.

The Tigers are currently led by head coach Gus Malzahn, Auburn's offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2011 and during the 2010 national championship season. He returned as head coach on December 4, 2012, following the departure of Gene Chizik. The Tigers are the reigning SEC Champions after defeating #5 Missouri 59–42 in the 2013 SEC Championship Game. Auburn faced #1 Florida State in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, falling to the undefeated Seminoles, 31-34. This marked the second SEC title and BCS Championship appearance in four years. Auburn also has the most SEC Titles in the last ten years with three: 2004, 2010, and 2013.

Origins
The organization of Auburn's first football team is credited to George Petrie, who led the 1892 Tigers to a 3–2 record. Petrie also chose burnt orange and navy blue as the official colors for Auburn athletic teams, which was inspired by his alma mater, the University of Virginia. The first game was against the University of Georgia at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Auburn won, 10–0, in front of a crowd of 2,000, in a game that would establish the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Auburn met in-state rival Alabama for the first time ever at Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1893 season, which ended with a 32–22 victory for the Tigers.

History
Since its beginnings in 1892, Auburn football has accumulated 2 national championships, 13 conference championships, 8 divisional championships, seven perfect seasons, and three Heisman Trophy winners.

Early History (1892–1903)
Auburn was led by nine different coaches over a 12-year span, including John Heisman (1895–1899), for whom the Heisman trophy is named. During five years, Heisman compiled a 12–4–2 record, before departing for Clemson in 1900. Auburn's first conference membership came in 1895, when it joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The first conference championship and undefeated season came in 1900, when the Tigers went 4–0 under coach Billy Watkins.

Mike Donahue era (1904–1922)
In 1904, Mike Donahue became the tenth head coach of the Auburn Tigers. His first team finished with a 5–0 record, marking Auburn's second undefeated season. The 1907 season would mark the last time Auburn would play Alabama until 1948, after a 7–7 tie between the two rivals. Donahue's best season came in 1913, when Auburn claimed its second conference championship with an 8–0 record. The 1913 Tigers were also named national champions by selectors Billingsley Report, 1st-N-Goal, and James Howard. The 1914 team also won a conference championship with an 8–0–1 record. The Tigers would return to the top of the conference once again in 1919, with an 8–1 record. Auburn moved to the Southern Conference in 1921, one year before Donahue's departure from Auburn in 1922, before becoming the coach at LSU in 1923.

Pitts, Morey, Bohler and Wynne (1923–1933)
Boozer Pitts was promoted from assistant coach to Auburn's head football coach, serving from 1923-1924 and again in 1927. Pitts failed to win more than four games in a single season during his tenure that included an 0-4-2 1927 season.

In September 1925, Dave Morey was hired as the head football coach. Morey was the head coach at Auburn for three years (1925–1927), compiling an overall record of 10–10–1 at the school. The highlight of Morey's tenure with Auburn was a 2–0 win over Bernie Bierman's Tulane squad in the game that dedicated New Orleans' famous Sugar Bowl. In 1927, the Auburn football team lost its starting quarterback, who was expelled after being caught sneaking into the women's dormitory following a night of drunken reverie. The team opened the 1927 season with an 0–3 record, including embarrassing losses to Stetson College and Clemson. At a pep rally six days after the loss to Clemson, Morey announced his resignation.

George Bohler was Auburn's head football coach for two seasons from 1928-1929. He posted a 3-11 record in those two seasons before he was replaced due to the poor record and support.

Chet A. Wynne was Auburn's head football coach for four seasons (1930-1933), posting a 22-15-2 record before departing to take the head football coach position at Kentucky. Wynne's 1932 team posted a 9-0-1 record and won the Southern Conference championship in it's final year in the conference before moving to the SEC.

Jack Meagher era (1934-1942)
Jack Meagher came to Auburn from Rice. Auburn's first bowl appearance came in 1936 under Coach Meagher after a 7–2–2 season. The Tigers traveled to Havana, Cuba to play Villanova in the Bacardi Bowl, which ended in a 7–7 tie. Auburn's first bowl win came after the 1937 season against Michigan State in the Orange Bowl. Meagher's final record at Auburn in 48-37-10.

Voyles and Brown (1944-1950)
Due to the events surrounding World War II, Auburn did not field a team in 1943, but resumed competition in 1944 under Carl Voyles. During Earl Brown's tenure, Auburn met Alabama for the first time since 1907, which ended with an Alabama victory. The Tigers quickly responded in 1949, as they stunned the heavily favored Crimson Tide in a 14–13 victory. An 0–10 season in 1950 called for a change, and marked the end of a trying era for Auburn football.

Ralph "Shug" Jordan era (1951–1975)
In 1951, Auburn hired Ralph "Shug" Jordan to become the new head coach of the Tigers. During his first season, Auburn finished with a 5–5 record. He led the Tigers to three consecutive bowl appearances in 1953, 1954, and 1955. Jordan is most recognized for his 1957 squad, which finished the season with a 10–0 record, and won Auburn's first SEC Championship. The Associated Press named the Auburn Tigers no. 1 in its postseason poll(Prior to the Bowl Games). The 1957 Auburn team was ineligible for Bowl participation due to NCAA Sanctions, having been placed on probation indefinitely by the Southeastern Conference, after having paid two high school players US$500 apiece. The 1958 team was also named national champions by Montgomery Full Season Championship poll, after a 9–0–1 season. Auburn went on to appear in bowl games in 1963 and 1965. Beginning in 1968, the Tigers enjoyed seven consecutive bowl appearances under coach Jordan. In 1971, Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan led the Tigers to a 9–2 record, and became the school's first Heisman Trophy winner. Auburn would go on to lose the 1972 Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma, 40–22. One of Jordan's biggest victories came against Alabama in 1972, when the Tigers shocked the Crimson Tide in a 17–16 upset. The 1972 Iron Bowl became known as the "Punt Bama Punt" game, due to two blocked Alabama punts in the fourth quarter, which were both returned for Auburn touchdowns. In 1973, Auburn's Cliff–Hare Stadium was renamed Jordan–Hare Stadium, which was the first stadium in the nation to be named for an active coach. After the 1975 season, Jordan retired after a 25-year tenure at Auburn, with a 176–83–7 record and a .675 winning percentage. The 176 career wins remain a record for an Auburn coach.

Doug Barfield era (1976–1980)
Following Jordan's retirement, Auburn hired Doug Barfield to become the new head coach. From 1976 to 1980, Barfield's Tigers compiled a 27–27–1 on-field record, with no bowl appearances. He lost all five games to rival Alabama during his tenure, and was later awarded two victories due to forfeits by Mississippi State in 1976 and 1977, making his record 29–25–1. He was dismissed from his position after a disappointing season in 1980, as the Tigers finished with a 5–6 record. Auburn then hired Pat Dye, a former assistant coach at Alabama under Coach Paul W. Bryant, and head coach at Wyoming at the time. During his first season in 1981, Auburn finished with a 5–6 record.

Pat Dye era (1981–1992)
In 1982, Pat Dye led Auburn to a 9–3 record and its first bowl appearance in eight years. The 1982 season would also begin a streak of nine consecutive bowl game appearances. The highlight of the season came against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, when Auburn snapped the Tide's 9-game winning streak. The 1982 Iron Bowl is widely known as the "Bo Over the Top" game, for Auburn running back Bo Jackson's leap over the top of a pile from the one-yard line to secure a 23–22 victory over Alabama. This would be the final Iron Bowl for Alabama's legendary coach, Bear Bryant, who retired after the 1982 season and died on January 26, 1983.

Dye's best season came in 1983, when the Tigers went 11–1, claiming the conference championship. Auburn went on to defeat Michigan in the Sugar Bowl 9–7. Some felt that #3 Auburn should have been crowned the national champions, due to #5 Miami's upset of #1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, and #7 Georgia's upset of #2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Nonetheless, Miami jumped from No. 5 to No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls, while Auburn remained in the No. 3 spot behind #2 Nebraska. The Tigers were named national champions by various polling organizations, such as the New York Times and Billingsley Report.

In 1985, running back Bo Jackson would become the school's second Heisman Trophy winner. Auburn would go on to win three consecutive SEC Championships in 1987, 1988, and 1989. In 1988, defensive tackle Tracy Rocker became the school's first Lombardi Award winner and also won the Outland Trophy. Pat Dye is credited for organizing the first ever Iron Bowl played in Auburn. On December 2, 1989, Bill Curry's #2 Crimson Tide (10–0) traveled to Jordan–Hare Stadium, which had surpassed the seating capacity of Legion Field, to face the #11 Auburn Tigers, who defeated the Tide, 30–20. The 1989 Iron Bowl would continue a 4-game winning streak over Alabama. Since 1981, Auburn has a 17–15 edge over Alabama in Iron Bowl wins.

Over twelve seasons, Dye achieved a 99–39–4 record, the third highest number of wins in Auburn football history, only behind Mike Donahue and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. In 2005, the playing surface of Jordan–Hare Stadium was named "Pat Dye Field" in honor of Dye's achievements and contributions he made to Auburn during his tenure.

Terry Bowden era (1993–1998)
Following the departure of Pat Dye, Auburn named Samford head coach Terry Bowden, son of legendary coach Bobby Bowden, head coach of the Tigers. In 1993, while serving a one-year television ban and two-year postseason bowl ban due to NCAA probation, Auburn shocked the nation by completing the season with a perfect 11–0 record. The Tigers were not eligible to play in the SEC Championship Game, nor a bowl game, but were named national champions(Although this was not recognized by the NCAA) by the National Championship Foundation. The most memorable game, of the 1994 season was the "Interception Game" versus LSU. In which the Auburn defense intercepted 7 LSU passes, returning 3 for touchdowns in the 4th quarter (Ken Alvis, Fred Smith and Brian Robinson). During the first two seasons under Bowden, the Tigers amassed a 20–1–1 record. After serving two years of probation, Auburn made three consecutive bowl game appearances from 1995 to 1997. Bowden's 1997 team won the SEC Western Division title, and played in the SEC Championship Game, falling to Tennessee, 30–29. In 1998, Bowden faced criticism for recruiting woes, off-the-field issues, and player discipline, which eventually led to his resignation after a 1–5 start on the season. Interim head coach Bill Oliver finished out the season, which ended with a 3–8 record. Bowden compiled a 47–17–1 record at Auburn after six seasons as head coach.

Tommy Tuberville era (1999–2008)
Following the 1998 season, Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville left Oxford to become the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers. In his first season, the Tigers finished with a 5–6 record, but would return to the SEC Championship Game in 2000, following a 9–0 victory over Alabama, which was played in Tuscaloosa for the first time in 99 years. The Tigers fell to Florida, 28–6, but would begin a streak of eight consecutive bowl appearances. Auburn would win a share of the SEC Western Division title in 2001 and 2002. The high point of the 2002 season was Auburn's 17–7 upset victory over Alabama, which began a six-year winning streak over the Tide. Tuberville's 2004 team completed the season with a perfect 13–0 record and an SEC Championship. Auburn was left out of the BCS National Championship Game, due to two other undefeated teams ranked higher, #1 USC (12–0) and #2 Oklahoma (12–0). The Tigers went on to defeat Virginia Tech, 16–13, in the Sugar Bowl, completing Auburn's third perfect season in the modern era of college football. USC defeated Oklahoma, 55–19, to win the national championship; however, they were later stripped of their title due to improper recruiting practices. Auburn finished the season ranked No. 2 in the final AP and Coaches polls. The Tigers were recognized as national champions by various polling organizations, including FansPoll and Golf Digest. Tuberville came under much criticism during the 2008 season for his lackluster performance and coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, whom he fired after a shocking 14–13 loss to Vanderbilt in October. At that time, the team was 4–2. Auburn finished the year with a 5–7 record, after a disappointing 36–0 loss to rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, marking the Tide's first victory over Auburn in Tuscaloosa and snapping Auburn's six-year winning streak. Tuberville voluntarily resigned the following week, stating that he would take a year off from coaching. Over ten seasons, Tuberville compiled an 85–40 record at Auburn, while winning one conference championship, five division championships, and completing Auburn's third perfect season in modern history.

Gene Chizik era (2009–2012)
On December 13, 2008, Athletic Director Jay Jacobs announced Gene Chizik, former Auburn defensive coordinator and then Iowa State head coach, as the new Auburn head coach. He received early criticism for his 5–19 record during his time at Iowa State during 2007 and 2008. He quickly began forming his new coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who had coached the nation's top offense at Tulsa for the previous two seasons. During his first season, Auburn finished with a 7–5 record, and defeated Northwestern 38–35 in the Outback Bowl, its first bowl game since 2007.

Following the 2009 season, Chizik and his staff recruited a top-5 recruiting class, highlighted by junior college transfer quarterback Cam Newton and running back Mike Dyer. Auburn's 2010 "A-Day" spring scrimmage drew a crowd of 63,217 fans to Jordan–Hare Stadium, setting a new spring game attendance record. Auburn, led by quarterback Cam Newton, running back Mike Dyer, and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, completed the regular season with a perfect 12–0 record, highlighted by a comeback victory over Alabama. The Tide led Auburn 24–0 in the first half, only to lose the game in the second half, 28–27. It was the largest lead ever blown by Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the largest ever comeback through the 75-year history of the game. Auburn went on to defeat South Carolina 56–17 in the SEC Championship Game, which secured a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. This would be the first BCS bowl game appearance for Auburn since 2004, when the Tigers were left out of the national championship picture. Cam Newton became the third Heisman Trophy winner in school history, while also winning the AP Player of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Manning Award, and the Maxwell Award. Nick Fairley became the second Auburn player in school history to win the Lombardi Award. Auburn faced the Oregon Ducks on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona, which ended with a 22–19 Auburn victory, secured by a game-winning field goal kick by senior Wes Byrum, who also kicked the game-winning field goals against Clemson and Kentucky during the regular season. Auburn finished the season with a perfect 14–0 record, and its first national championship since 1957. Auburn celebrated their national championship with a special ceremony at Jordan–Hare Stadium two weeks following the championship game in Arizona. The coaches and players were honored, along with players from the 1957, 1993, and 2004 undefeated teams. The event drew over 78,000 fans, covering Jordan–Hare Stadium lower decks, spilling into both upper decks. A special "reverse" Tiger Walk and special rolling of Toomer's Corner also took place. After settling down from the magical 2010 season, Chizik and his staff began preparing to defend their national title.

Auburn opened the 2011 season with dramatic wins against Utah State and Mississippi State. Auburn then fell to eventual ACC Champion Clemson on the road in Death Valley, which snapped Auburn's 17-game winning streak, which began on January 1, 2010, vs. Northwestern in Outback Bowl. The Tigers would go on to complete the regular season with a 7–5 record and ranked no. 25 in the final BCS poll, with wins against Florida Atlantic, no. 9 South Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, and Samford. Auburn fell to Arkansas, LSU (SEC Champions), Georgia (eastern division champion), and arch-rival Alabama (National Champions). The Tigers won their 37th bowl appearance by a score of 43–24 over the Virginia Cavaliers in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl on December 31, 2011. This would be Gus Malzahn's final game as offensive coordinator for Auburn before becoming head coach at Arkansas State. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof would also depart following the 2011 season, leaving for UCF.

Following a 3–9 (0–8 in conference play) season in 2012, the program's worst season in 60 years, Chizik was terminated as head football coach. In addition to the remarkably poor 2012 season, mounting player disciplinary issues and the lack of on-field success delivered from several consecutive highly rated recruiting classes contributed to Chizik's firing. Over his four season tenure as head coach at Auburn, Chizik compiled an overall record of 33–19 (15–17 in conference play), delivering one SEC Championship and a National Championship in 2010 and three consecutive bowl wins from 2009 to 2011 before not qualifying for a bowl in 2012.

Gus Malzahn era (2013–present)
After Gene Chizik's termination at the end of the 2012 season, Athletic Director Jay Jacobs would form a search committee headed by former Auburn Heisman Trophy winners Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan along with fellow former player Mac Crawford to find the program's next head coach. The committee would go on to unanimously select Arkansas State head coach and former Auburn offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2011 Gus Malzahn. On December 4, 2012 it was officially announced that Malzahn would assume the position of head coach at Auburn University. He is currently in his first season, and has his 2013 Tigers 12–1 and has won the SEC Championship versus the Missouri Tigers. The season was highlighted by two of the greatest plays in Auburn football history. After allowing #24 Georgia to take a 38–37 lead with less than two minutes remaining, quarterback Nick Marshall threw a 73-yard Hail Mary pass to Ricardo Louis for the game-winning touchdown after being tipped up by two Georgia defenders. The Tigers would put the game away in the final 25 seconds and win 43–38 over the Bulldogs. Auburn also defeated #1 Alabama in dramatic fashion. After lobbying for one second to be restored to the game clock in the fourth quarter, tied 28–28 with the Tigers, Alabama head coach Nick Saban chose to attempt a 57-yard game-winning field goal. The Tide was 0–3 in field goal attempts on the day with veteran kicker Cade Foster, thus chose to use Adam Griffith for the final attempt. Griffith's kick did not have the distance and the ball landed in the hands of Chris Davis, who would return the ball unofficially 109 yards endzone to endzone for an Auburn touchdown and seal a victory for the Tigers along with a berth in the SEC Championship Game. Auburn would face #5 Missouri in the 2013 SEC Championship Game, eventually winning 59–42 in an offensive showdown which produced 677 total yards for Auburn, including a 304-yard performance by game MVP Tre Mason. The Tigers faced #1 Florida State in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 6, 2014. They lost by a score of 34-31, as Florida State scored the go-ahead touchdown with thirteen seconds remaining in the game. The Tigers finished #2 in both the final AP and Coaches polls.

Modern history
While Auburn football has a long and storied history, the Tigers have had uneven success in recent years. Since the expansion of the SEC in 1992, Auburn has the fourth highest win percentage in SEC West league play (58.7%), behind Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M, respectively. At of the end of the 2012 season, Auburn teams had won 45 of their last 74 conference match-ups, including 20 of the last 36 SEC away games. When facing their greatest challenge, Auburn teams have won 12 of their last 25 match-ups versus top-10 opponents. The Tigers did well at Jordan–Hare Stadium at night between 2000 and 2009, when they won 24 of 29. Over the past five seasons, Auburn has won 38 out of 64 total games, ranking 41st nationally in winning percentage (59.4%).

1983 season
The 1983 Auburn Tigers, led by head coach Pat Dye and running back Bo Jackson, finished 11–1 after playing the nation's toughest schedule. Their only loss came against #3 Texas, who defeated the Tigers, 20–7. Auburn went on to defeat #8 Michigan, 9–7, in the Sugar Bowl. Despite entering the bowl games ranked third in both major polls, and with both teams ranked higher losing their bowl games, the Tigers ended ranked third in the final AP poll. Auburn received 21 polls to Miami's 14.

1993 season
Head coach Terry Bowden led the 1993 team to a perfect season in his first year on the Plains. The Tigers were the only undefeated team in major college football, however were banned from playing on television or post-season games due to NCAA violations. Rival Alabama was sent to the SEC Championship Game as the substitute representative of the Western Division. Auburn finished ranked fourth in the nation by the Associated Press but was named a co-National Champion by the National Championship Foundation along with Florida State, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

2004 season
The Auburn Tigers ended the 2004 season undefeated, but were left out of the BCS title game because they ranked third in the final BCS rankings. That left undefeated USC and Oklahoma (ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively) to play in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship. Auburn went on to win the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. The team finished No. 2 in both the final AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, following Oklahoma's loss in the National Championship game to the University of Southern California (USC). USC was later stripped of the National Championship for violating NCAA rules in 2010, though 2004 BCS Championship remains vacated.

2010 season
On October 24, 2010, Auburn was ranked first in the BCS polls for the first time in school history. Their quarterback, Cam Newton, became a Heisman Trophy winner. He had a total of 2,854 yards passing and 30 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Auburn ended the 2010 regular season a perfect 12–0 after a come-back win over cross-state rival, Alabama, in the 75th "Iron Bowl" game by a score of 28–27. Auburn defeated South Carolina in the December 4th, 2010 SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA by a score of 56–17. This SEC Championship victory clinched Auburn's berth in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game which took place in Glendale, Arizona against the Oregon Ducks. The Tigers defeated the Ducks, 22–19, with a last-second field goal to win their third national championship, and their first undisputed title.

2013 season
Following an abysmal 3-9 season in 2012, Auburn was poised to begin a "new day" under the leadership of head coach Gus Malzahn in 2013. The Tigers were picked to finished fifth in the SEC West, and received no votes in any preseason polls. Auburn would go on to complete what has been coined as the greatest turnaround in college football history, finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record. The only loss came against #6 LSU in a night game at Tiger Stadium, where the Tigers would suffer a 21-35 defeat. The season is best known for Auburn's stellar finishes against rivals Georgia and Alabama, dubbed The Prayer at Jordan-Hare and Kick Bama Kick respectively. Auburn would go on to defeat #5 Missouri 59-42 in the 2013 SEC Championship Game and claim its third conference championship in ten years, the most of any SEC program during that time period. Auburn's offense was anchored by an unstoppable rushing attack under the leadership of running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason, who rushed for 1,816 total yards, surpassing Bo Jackson's single-season record of 1,786 yards. Auburn would ultimately face #1 Florida State in the Rose Bowl for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, falling to the Seminoles in the final seconds, 31-34. Auburn finished the season ranked #2 in both the AP and Coaches final polls after completing a 12-2 turnaround season, which marked its second SEC title and BCS Championship appearance in four years.

Historical ranking
Auburn has the 13th most wins in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. In terms of winning percentage, Auburn ranks as the 9th most successful team in the past 25 years with a 71% win rate (213–86–5) and 9th over the last half century (1955–2010) with 69%. Of the 93 current I-A football programs that been active since Auburn first fielded a team 116 years ago, Auburn ranks 14th in winning percentage over that period.

The College Football Research Center lists Auburn as the 14th best college football program in history, with eight Auburn squads listed in Billingsley's Top 200 Teams of All Time (1869–2010). After the 2008 season, ESPN ranked Auburn the 21st most prestigious program in history.

The Associated Press poll statistics show Auburn with the 11th best national record of being ranked in the final AP Poll and 14th overall (ranked 503 times out of 1058 polls since the poll began in 1936), with an average ranking of 11.2. Since the Coaches Poll first released a final poll in 1950, Auburn has 26 seasons where the team finished ranked in the top 20 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

Heisman links
Three Auburn players, Pat Sullivan in 1971, Bo Jackson in 1985, and Cam Newton in 2010, have won the Heisman Trophy. The Trophy's namesake, John Heisman, coached at Auburn from 1895 until 1899. Of the eight schools of which Heisman coached (among others, Georgia Tech and Clemson), Auburn is the only school that has produced a Heisman Trophy winner. The Auburn athletic department has announced that it will honor the school's three Heisman winners with statues, along with a bust of coach John Heisman, outside the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

National championships
The AP Poll did not begin selecting a champion until 1936 nor the AFCA Coaches Poll until 1950. Nine Auburn teams have been awarded some form of "National Champions" title, though only two are currently claimed by the University—the 1957 title, awarded by the Associated Press and an undisputed national championship in 2010.

Undefeated seasons
Since its beginnings in 1892, Auburn has completed fourteen undefeated seasons. This includes seven (7) perfect seasons in which the Tigers were undefeated and untied:
 * 1900, 1904, 1913, 1957, 1993, 2004, 2010

Conference championships
Auburn has won a total of 13 conference championships, including 8 SEC Championships.

Conference affiliations:
 * 1892–1894, Independent
 * 1895–1920, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1921–1932, Southern Conference
 * 1933–present, Southeastern Conference

Divisional championships
Since divisional play began in 1992, Auburn has won the SEC Western Division championship and gone on to the conference title game on 5 occasions and is 3–2 in the SEC Championship Game. The most recent appearance came in 2013, as Auburn completed the regular season 11–1, and defeated Missouri, 59–42, in the 2013 SEC Championship Game. Auburn has also shared the western division title, but did not play in the championship game due to NCAA probation and a tiebreakers on 3 occasions.

Rivalries
Auburn maintains annual rivalry games with SEC foes LSU, Georgia, and Alabama. The Tigers have played Georgia 117 times in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, the most of any opponent. Auburn's primary rivalry game is the Iron Bowl against Alabama, a series led by the Tigers 18-14 in games played since 1982. Rivalries with Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Tulane were more prominent during Auburn's membership in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Southern Conference, and the early days of the Southeastern Conference. Auburn is 298-259-29 all-time in significant rivalry games.

Total program achievements

 * Years listed for Bowl victories are seasons for which they occurred.

Tiger Walk
Before each Auburn home football game, thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from the Auburn Athletic Complex to Jordan–Hare Stadium. The tradition began in the 1950s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs. During the tenure of coach Doug Barfield, the coach urged fans to come out and support the team, and thousands did. Today the team walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk. The largest Tiger Walk occurred on December 2, 1989, before the first ever home football game against rival Alabama—the Iron Bowl. On that day, an estimated 20,000 fans packed the one block section of road leading to the stadium. According to former athletic director David Housel, Tiger Walk has become "the most copied tradition in all of college football".