Bo made Auburn relevant after a decade of wandering in the desert.
The years between the 1972 Amazins and the 1982 Bo-led team that broke Alabama's stranglehold (and it's stayed broken since) were a long gray era.
There was some great individual talent: James Brooks, Joe Cribbs, William Andrews, Phil Gargis, Reese McIntyre, Rob Spivey, Rick Neel, Mitzi Jackson, Charlie Trotman, Byron Franklin....
But those teams never got it together. The team with Brooks, Cribbs and Andrews all on the roster? 6-4-1.
I still remember looking at the Athlon in 1975 and seeing a schedule that included Memphis, Baylor, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Mississippi State and Kentucky. It was Shug's last season and Auburn had gone 10-2 the year before. We'd pushed Alabama to the limit, losing 17-13. I made myself crazy thinking we had a shot to win it all. Consumed me. Games were spaced out well and if we could get over the Bama hump, there might be a NC in the air. AU went 3-6-2. Lost to Memphis State. Tied Baylor. Lost to Virginia Tech. Tied MSU. Lost to Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Bama. Shovel to the face.
If you didn't live it, you have no idea how utterly miserable and spirit shaking that period of time actually was.
3-6-1,
4-7,
5-6,
6-4-1,
8-3,
5-6,
5-6 (Dye's first year)
Two years later, Auburn was 11-1 and should have been national champions. Why? Dye and Bo -- and Little Train and a hell of a defense.
Since Dye got there in 1981, Auburn's had five losing seasons (including his first). Five in 30 years? Coach was fired at the end of three of those four.
Auburn's had almost as many undefeated seasons (three) as losing seasons over that span.
Bo Jackson started that. He made Auburn football relevant. He made it cool. Without Bo? We're not having this discussion.