It would be a "little brother" temper tantrum to refuse the invite and we certainly need the extra practices, but I cannot believe we're about to drag our beat up program into Legion Field to play a non-power 5 school.
Legion Field to me simply represents an awful era of Auburn not only with football but socially and culturally in the state. I was not alive during this time, but I've heard enough stories and testimonies to know that Alabama treated their football success and state influence as means to oppress and squash all things Auburn.
It's no secret that Alabama has influence in the media, makes attempts to soil Auburn's reputation, and tries to prevent Auburn from having success. You can read about those attempts elsewhere, but Auburn learned how to fight back in 80s, and getting the hell out of Legion Field was one of the better uppercuts in the rivalry.
Maybe some Auburn fans don't realize this, but "9 in a row" only tells a small section of that era. 9 straight losses could have easily have been 11 without the miraculous Punt, Bama, Punt game. But even 11 only tells part of the story. Auburn went 5-18 against Alabama from 1958 to 1981 while being shut out 7 times. And throughout this era, Auburn was told that Legion Field was a neutral site, to never complain, and to know her role. That Legion Field was good for the state. That Legion Field was a cultural landmark.
Bo Over the Top marked a pivotal moment in the rivalry. It turned it into a fair rivalry. It was a statement that Auburn would no longer roll over and play dead for Alabama. That the era of Bryant had come to a close. That a process had started to elevate Auburn's status not only in state but nationally.
You ever wanted to know why the 1989 Iron Bowl is called by most Auburn fans that were there to have been the loudest, most electrifying atmosphere in Tiger history?
We're 18-16 against Alabama since 1982. We've had two Heisman trophy winners, three undefeated seasons, five SEC championships, and a national championship. We're a national brand with professional athletes and Hall of Famers stretching across all three major sports.
And I personally believe that getting out of Legion Field put a cap on the era that did so much to hinder Auburn's potential success.
It just hit that we're going back there. That over the past seven years, Auburn's finished last in the SEC West five times. That on forums that feature multiple perspectives on college football, Auburn is a laughing stock. That Auburn has disfunction in its athletic department. That Auburn brags about toys like a Jumbotron while trying to hide extreme issues like our defense, our lack of quarterbacks, our team discipline issues.
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