Nostalgia in College Football Fandom
A significant part of being a college football fan is wrapped up in nostalgia, especially in this region. Fans often find themselves reminiscing about memorable moments from their beloved programs.
Even when things don’t go well for their teams, it remains a joy to be a fan, creating a kind of dreamlike experience. This sentiment holds true for the Auburn Tigers, who have faced challenges since parting ways with their former head coach, Gus Malzahn. Despite a tough period, there have been some highlights in Auburn’s recent history that are hard to forget.
In fact, Pat Forde highlighted this in his Top 25 College Football Teams over the last 25 years, listing two Auburn teams. The first was the undefeated 2004 Tigers, under coach Tommy Tuberville. Despite their perfect record, they missed out on a shot for the national title game during an era before the college football playoff system, as the USC Trojans and Oklahoma Sooners were selected instead.
In that championship matchup, USC dominated Oklahoma, adding to the narrative of Auburn being overlooked for a chance at the title. Forde pointed out, “The best teams of the 21st century had no chance to play in national titles,” emphasizing the Tigers’ exclusion from the BCS Championship game, which was quite a blow for an undefeated SEC champion. Meanwhile, Auburn completed their 13-0 season but saw Oklahoma stumble in the title game.
Following the 2004 team, Forde noted Cam Newton’s 2010 National Championship squad, which also went undefeated with a 14-0 record. Newton’s Heisman-winning season is often viewed as one of the most remarkable individual performances in college football history. He had defining moments, including leading a stunning 24-0 comeback against Alabama—a game that, just recently, saw Auburn triumph over their rivals.
Forde remarked, “It’s unfair to label defensive tackle Nick Fairley as the sole contributor; however, this undefeated season and national title were truly Cam Newton’s achievements.” Even though Newton only donned the Auburn uniform for one season, those 14 games were nothing short of spectacular, as he accounted for 50 touchdowns and propelled his team with over 4,300 offensive yards.
