Auburn Football: Beat Alabama or Every Other SEC Team?

Auburn football fans, here’s a choice that might start an argument before anyone finishes reading it: Would you rather beat Alabama every year—or beat every other SEC team Auburn plays?

For this hypothetical, you have to choose.

Take the annual Iron Bowl win, with the other conference results left uncertain.

Or take wins over every other SEC opponent on Auburn’s schedule, while giving up the Alabama win.

No choosing both. I know somebody was already trying.

One choice gives you the rivalry result you want every year. The other gives you a much stronger set of results across the rest of the conference schedule.

Which matters more to you?

In This Blog

The case for beating Alabama every year
The case for beating every other SEC opponent
One unforgettable game or a stronger conference season?
Why Auburn conversations follow you everywhere
What football weekends reveal about living here
Frequently asked questions

Auburn Football and the Alabama Question

Some fans probably didn’t need to read past “beat Alabama every year.”

They had their answer.

There’s something personal about a rivalry when the other side includes your relatives, coworkers, neighbors or the person who has been giving you a hard time since last November.

An annual win would mean looking forward to that conversation instead of avoiding it.

Thanksgiving gathering?

Ready.

Office conversation?

Ready.

That one friend who always has something to say?

Especially ready.

For those fans, the appeal isn’t complicated. They want that game, that feeling and those bragging rights.

Every single year.

Would You Take the Iron Bowl Win Every Time?

Imagine knowing that whatever else happens during the season, Auburn beats Alabama.

You wouldn’t know every other result. There could still be frustrating Saturdays.

But that particular Saturday would end the way you wanted.

For some people, that would be enough to make the choice easy.

They remember rivalry games through the people they watched with, the reactions afterward and the conversations that lasted long beyond the final whistle.

Ask them which option they want, and they may answer before you finish the question.

“Alabama. Next question.”

The Case for Beating Every Other SEC Opponent

Then there are the fans looking at the whole season.

Their answer might be: “Give me the conference wins.”

In this version, Auburn beats every other SEC opponent it faces. That could mean more weekends spent celebrating and fewer weeks wondering what went wrong.

The exact standings would depend on the season’s schedule, other results and applicable rules. But the appeal of this choice is straightforward: success across most of the conference schedule.

Those fans might ask why they should let one rivalry determine how they feel about an entire season.

They want a team that keeps winning, builds confidence and gives them something to look forward to each week.

That’s a reasonable argument.

It may still get challenged at the dinner table.

One Game or the Bigger Picture?

This is where the debate gets interesting.

You’re comparing two different ways of enjoying Auburn football.

Your choice	What makes it appealing	What you give up
Beat Alabama every year	A guaranteed rivalry win and annual bragging rights	Certainty about the other SEC games
Beat every other SEC opponent Auburn plays	Wins throughout the rest of the conference schedule	The Alabama win

Some fans measure a season by its overall results.

Others will always give the Iron Bowl extra weight.

And plenty of people will begin explaining their answer, reconsider halfway through and ask whether they can change it.

That’s allowed.

Choosing both still isn’t.

Think About the Celebration You’d Want

Which would you rather experience?

The celebration after beating Alabama?

Or a season filled with celebrations after beating the other conference opponents?

Picture the conversations afterward. The messages on your phone. The people you would call first.

Would one particular win mean more to you than several others?

Or would you rather have more Saturdays when you could say, “That was a good day to be an Auburn Tiger”?

Your answer probably depends on what you enjoy most about following the team.

These Conversations Are Part of Auburn Life

I’ve been in the Auburn area since 1988, and a question like this can turn a short conversation into a much longer one.

You might hear three different answers before you finish your coffee.

Someone will bring up an old game.

Someone else will bring up the bigger picture.

And someone will insist there should be a third option.

For people getting to know Auburn, these everyday conversations reveal something that photographs alone can’t show: the personal connections people have with this place.

Auburn University (https://www.auburn.edu/) brings people here for many reasons. Football is one part of that connection, and for some people, it remains an important part long after graduation.

Visiting for Football and Choosing a Home

A memorable weekend can make someone start imagining a home in Auburn.

Maybe you want to visit more often. Maybe you’re planning a full-time move. Maybe you’re returning to an area you already know.

Enjoying a Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (https://auburntigers.com/jordan-hare-stadium) is a starting point.

Choosing a home requires a few more questions.

How often will you be here? Where will you work? What kind of maintenance do you want? How important is campus access compared with your other destinations?

Those details help turn “I love coming here” into a useful home search.

Your Home Should Fit the Rest of the Week

Here’s a hypothetical example.

A buyer starts by saying, “I want to be as close to the stadium as possible.”

After discussing the buyer’s routine, it turns out that work, shopping and everyday errands will happen much more frequently than stadium visits.

Campus access may still be important. It simply becomes one priority among several.

You can compare Auburn subdivisions (https://auburnopelikaalrealestate.com/auburn-al-subdivisons/) and Opelika subdivisions (https://auburnopelikaalrealestate.com/opelika-al-subdivisions/) with those priorities in mind.

Access to shopping around Opelika Tiger Town (https://www.opelika-al.gov/397/Tiger-Town) may matter to your routine, too.

If schools are part of the decision, confirm the property’s assignment directly with Auburn City Schools (https://www.auburnschools.org/) or the applicable district.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does “every other SEC team” mean every team in the conference?

For this question, it means every SEC opponent Auburn actually plays that season, excluding Alabama.

Does choosing the other SEC wins guarantee a championship?

No. This hypothetical guarantees only those game results. Championship outcomes would depend on the relevant schedule, standings, rules and other results.

Can I choose both?

That would certainly be popular, but it would also end the debate pretty quickly. Pick one.

Do I need to follow Auburn football to enjoy living in Auburn?

No. People choose Auburn for work, education, personal connections and many other reasons.

Can you help me find a home for regular Auburn visits?

Yes. I can help you compare properties based on your intended use, budget, preferred location and ownership needs.

Which One Are You Choosing?

Beat Alabama every year?

Or beat every other SEC opponent Auburn plays?

Tell me your choice—and your reason. I suspect the explanations will be just as entertaining as the votes.

I’m Laura Sellers, an Auburn University alumna, Associate Broker and REALTOR®. I’ve been in the Auburn area since 1988.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Auburn or Opelika, call or text 334-332-7263.

AuburnOpelikaALRealEstate.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate — the Official Real Estate Partner of the Auburn Tigers.

REALTOR® Laura Sellers, Auburn, AL

Auburn Real Estate