Back in 1973, David Housel published "Saturdays to Remember," a journey across the mid-20th century history of Auburn football, mostly starting with Ralph "Shug" Jordan's arrival in 1951. He used a dozen games to take fans through the emotional roller coaster of Auburn football fandom.
The games:
-1951 Auburn upset over Vanderbilt
-1953 Auburn tie with Mississippi State
-1954 Auburn victory over Miami (FL)
-1955 Auburn win over Georgia Tech
-1957 Auburn win over Tennessee
-1957 Auburn victory over Alabama
-1963 Iron Bowl
-1968 Auburn JV beats Alabama JV
-1969 Iron Bowl
-1970 Iron Bowl
-1971 Auburn win over Georgia
-1972 Iron Bowl (Punt Bama Punt)
I once asked Housel in the mid 1980s if he ever considered writing a follow-up to the book. He gave a wryly non-committal answer. Though he's written others, the sequel never appeared.
So imagine it's up to you. What dozen Auburn games of the last 50 years would you pick to include such a thing? What games could be used as microcosms of their era? Which ones make for the best memories for Auburn fans?
The 1979 Auburn-UGA tilt, where Brooks and Cribbs became the most celebrated backfield duo in Auburn history to that point? It was the cherry atop Barfield's era.
The 1982 Iron Bowl, where Dye and Bo Jackson stamped their presence in the national psyche? The 1984 Sugar Bowl where Auburn completed one of the toughest schedules in NCAA history but was rooked out of a national championship?
Numerous Iron Bowls could qualify -- 1989, 1993, 2000, 2010, 2013 -- all for different reasons. So could the 2004 AU-LSU game or the 2010 AU-UGA game. What would you boil it down to?
The games:
-1951 Auburn upset over Vanderbilt
-1953 Auburn tie with Mississippi State
-1954 Auburn victory over Miami (FL)
-1955 Auburn win over Georgia Tech
-1957 Auburn win over Tennessee
-1957 Auburn victory over Alabama
-1963 Iron Bowl
-1968 Auburn JV beats Alabama JV
-1969 Iron Bowl
-1970 Iron Bowl
-1971 Auburn win over Georgia
-1972 Iron Bowl (Punt Bama Punt)
I once asked Housel in the mid 1980s if he ever considered writing a follow-up to the book. He gave a wryly non-committal answer. Though he's written others, the sequel never appeared.
So imagine it's up to you. What dozen Auburn games of the last 50 years would you pick to include such a thing? What games could be used as microcosms of their era? Which ones make for the best memories for Auburn fans?
The 1979 Auburn-UGA tilt, where Brooks and Cribbs became the most celebrated backfield duo in Auburn history to that point? It was the cherry atop Barfield's era.
The 1982 Iron Bowl, where Dye and Bo Jackson stamped their presence in the national psyche? The 1984 Sugar Bowl where Auburn completed one of the toughest schedules in NCAA history but was rooked out of a national championship?
Numerous Iron Bowls could qualify -- 1989, 1993, 2000, 2010, 2013 -- all for different reasons. So could the 2004 AU-LSU game or the 2010 AU-UGA game. What would you boil it down to?
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