This year marks the 75th anniversary since the revival of the Alabama-Auburn football rivalry, which has come to be known over the years as the “Iron Bowl” (hat tip to former Tigers coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan for popularizing that moniker).

When supporters of the Crimson Tide and Tigers buried a hatchet (literally) in Birmingham to end 40 years of frosty relations between the two schools in 1948, little did they know that the game would one day become what many consider the greatest rivalry in college sports. The Iron Bowl was played exclusively at Birmingham’s Legion Field for more than 40 years, moving for the first time to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1989 and finally to Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2000.

Alabama and Auburn tee it up at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare in the 76th modern Iron Bowl, with the Crimson Tide leading the series 45-30 in that time (it’s 49-37-1 Alabama’s way if you count the games played from 1893-1907). It’s a much closer 21-19 edge for the Crimson Tide since 1983; it’s 12-11 for Alabama in this century.

To honor the 75th anniversary of the modern Iron Bowl, we’ve attempted to rank the games, 1 through 75 (or 75 through 1 as you’ll read them). To do so, we’ve relied on a number of specific and non-specific criteria, including each team’s record and/or national ranking coming into the Iron Bowl, whether or not an SEC or national championship was on the line, the competitiveness of the game, any especially memorable plays or performances, and finally — pure subjectivity.

We realize this list can be a lot to digest, but you’ve got all day Thursday and Friday, plus Saturday morning prior to kickoff. Like a Thanksgiving turkey, it can be consumed over two or three sittings.

Your list will no doubt be different from ours, but we hope you enjoy this time-hopping journey through three-quarters of a century of the Iron Bowl. Shoutout to Bill Cromartie’s excellent 1982 book “Alabama vs. Auburn: Braggin’ Rights” for supplying much of the narrative detail of games from the 1940s through the 1970s, which took place before this writer was born or at least before he had formed a concept of competitive sports, let alone the Iron Bowl.

With all that said, on with the countdown:

75. Auburn 34, Alabama 7 (1956)

If 2013 was “The Mother of All Iron Bowls,” then the 1956 version was that uncle you only see at Thanksgiving that you don’t like to like talk about. The Crimson Tide came in at an ugly 2-6-1, while Auburn was a decent-but-not-great 6-3. The Tigers scored 27 points in the second quarter and cruised to victory. As Henry Vance wrote in the Birmingham News “nobody asked for a refund.” Maybe they should have.

74. Alabama 42, Auburn 13 (2020)

One might think this is ridiculously low, considering Alabama was 7-0 ranked No. 1 in the country and would go on to win the national championship that season, while Auburn was 5-2 and ranked No. 22. But this was the COVID year, meaning there were fewer than 20,000 fans in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium. To top it off, the wacky schedule that season meant the Crimson Tide and Tigers both had two regular-season games after they played each other. Notable for being Gus Malzahn’s final Iron Bowl, I guess.

73. Alabama 34, Auburn 0 (1950)

As you’ll soon notice, the 1950s were not exactly the glory days in the Alabama-Auburn rivalry. Neither the Crimson Tide nor the Tigers could manage to be good at the same time, resulting in multiple Iron Bowl blowouts. Marlow scored three touchdowns for an Alabama team that finished the year 9-1. Auburn finished 0-10, but did hire Jordan as coach shortly after the season.

72. Auburn 26, Alabama 0 (1955)

The shoe was on the other foot in this one, as Alabama was winless under first-year coach J.B. “Ears” Whitworth. Auburn was 7-1-1 and bound for the Gator Bowl. This was the second of five consecutive Iron Bowl wins for Jordan’s teams, who allowed 15 points total in those games.

71. Auburn 28, Alabama 0 (1954)

See what I mean? This one is notable for evening the all-time series between the two schools at 8-8-1, counting the prehistoric (OK, barely historic) days of yore. Bobby Freeman ran for three touchdowns for Auburn, still tied for the most-ever in Iron Bowl history.

70. Alabama 21, Auburn 0 (1952)

I mean, seriously, couldn’t we have one competitive Iron Bowl in the 1950s? That was a good Alabama team, though. It went on to crush Syracuse 61-6 in the Orange Bowl and finished 10-2.

69. Alabama 49, Auburn 27 (2022)

One of two Iron Bowls with interim coaches for Auburn (1998 being the other; Alabama has never had an interim coach in the Iron Bowl) was as low-stakes as any in the series in at least 15 years. The Crimson Tide already had two losses, and was thus out of the national championship race. The Tigers, who had fired Bryan Harsin less than a month prior, showed life for most of the first half under Cadillac Williams, but Alabama took over in the final 2-1/2 quarters.

68. Alabama 34, Auburn 18 (1980)

After spending most of the 1970s in the national championship race, Paul “Bear” Bryant’s Alabama team had fallen out of the running with a pair of November losses to Mississippi State and Notre Dame in 1980. Auburn, meanwhile, was in last place in the SEC in what would be the fourth of Doug Barfield’s five seasons. The Tigers actually took a first-half lead before the Crimson Tide began to pour it on for their eighth straight win in the series.

67. Alabama 38, Auburn 7 (1976)

This was another Crimson Tide team that wasn’t in the national title race (having already lost three games for the first time in six years) against a Tigers team that was going nowhere in Barfield’s first season. Alabama put the game away with three touchdowns in the second quarter, building a 35-0 lead. Auburn finished 3-8, its worst record since 1952.

66. Alabama 48, Auburn 21 (1977)

Once-beaten Alabama came into the game ranked No. 3 in the nation, while Auburn was 5-5 and trying for its first winning season in three years. The Tigers actually took a 7-0 lead in Joe Cribbs’ 87-yard run — their first first-quarter touchdown in the Iron Bowl in 19 years — before the Crimson Tide put the game away with 28 straight points. It was Alabama’s fifth straight win over Auburn, tying its longest streak in the series up to that point.

65. Alabama 31, Auburn 0 (1966)

The Crimson Tide had won back-to-back national championships and 15 straight games coming into this one, while the Tigers were struggling to a second straight losing season. It was just the second Iron Bowl to be nationally televised, and the third of five straight victories for Alabama in the series. It also provided a footnote in a season where Bryant’s team went undefeated but did not win the national championship, a fate Auburn would also suffer some years later.

64. Alabama 30, Auburn 3 (1965)

This game was technically for the SEC championship, though Auburn came in with just a 4-3-1 overall record. It was not at all competitive, however, as four first-half turnovers did in the Tigers. The Crimson Tide cruised behind the passing of Steve Sloan, and would go on to win a second straight national championship.

63. Alabama 10, Auburn 7 (1953)

Hey look, a competitive Iron Bowl in the 1950s! Jordan’s first really good Auburn team (which was quarterbacked by Vince Dooley, by the way) lost in a minor upset to a Red Drew-coached Alabama squad that came into the game with the comical record of 5-2-3. Bobby Luna’s 28-yard field goal — the first successful field goal in the Alabama-Auburn game since 1906 — with just over a minute left provided the winning margin for the Crimson Tide.

62. Alabama 34, Auburn 0 (1961)

The first of nine Iron Bowls in which Alabama played as the No. 1 team in the polls was yet another blowout, par for the course in those days. The Crimson Tided led 24-0 at halftime on the way to securing its first of six national championships under Bryant. It was also the fifth consecutive shutout that season for Alabama, which allowed just 25 points total in 11 games.

61. Alabama 34, Auburn 16 (1978)

Auburn had its first winning team in four years, but it was no match for an Alabama squad that was 9-1, ranked No. 2 and on its way to a national championship. A record crowd (up to that point) of 79,000 crammed into Legion Field to watch the action, and the Tigers surprisingly went on top 13-10 late in the second quarter. Auburn fumbled, however, and Alabama cashed in a touchdown to take a lead it would never relinquish.

60. Alabama 38, Auburn 0 (1962)

Alabama’s fourth consecutive shutout in the Iron Bowl was the most-dominant of the four, as Butch Wilson returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and all the points the Crimson Tide would need. Still smarting from a 7-6 loss to Georgia Tech two weeks earlier that had snapped its 26-game unbeaten streak, Alabama poured it on behind sophomore quarterback Joe Namath, who threw for two touchdown passes and ran for a third.

59. Alabama 21, Auburn 14 (1964)

Second-ranked Alabama got revenge from an upset loss to Auburn the previous year in the first Iron Bowl that was nationally televised, and also the first (and one of only two ever) to take place on Thanksgiving Day. The second-ranked and 9-0 Crimson Tide scored its first two touchdowns on a fumble recovery in the end zone and Ray Ogden’s 100-yard kickoff return, taking a 14-7 lead in the first play of the second half. Namath — who had injured his knee at midseason — came off the bench and threw a touchdown pass to Ray Perkins early in the third quarter to put this one away. Auburn scored just before the final horn to make the score more competitive.

58. Alabama 13, Auburn 6 (1991)

This game is notable because it was Auburn’s last “home” Iron Bowl at Legion Field, the result of a settlement with the city of Birmingham after the Tigers had successfully taken the game to Jordan-Hare two years earlier. Alabama had begun to emerge as a national power under second-year coach Gene Stallings, and was 9-1 and ranked in the Top 10 heading into Iron Bowl Saturday. Auburn was scuffling along at 5-5, with the Eric Ramsey scandal gobbling up much of the oxygen around Pat Dye’s program. Freshman phenom David Palmer was the star of the day for Alabama, running for a touchdown and setting up another with a long reception.

57. Auburn 21, Alabama 13 (2004)

Tommy Tuberville’s Tigers entered the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa 10-0 and tied for the No. 2 spot in the national rankings, needing an impressive victory over a wounded Crimson Tide team to grab a potential spot in the BCS national championship game. They wouldn’t get it, despite facing a 6-4 Alabama team that was on its third quarterback of the season and had several other key players injured. The Crimson Tide led 6-0 at halftime, but the Tigers scored three straight touchdowns to take control.

56. Alabama 49, Auburn 0 (2012)

Some coaching changes are inevitable by the time the Iron Bowl rolls around, and other times the Alabama-Auburn game makes the choice obvious. The second-ranked Crimson Tide buried the Tigers and Gene Chizik along with them in what remains the second-largest blowout in Iron Bowl history (exceeded only by the first modern-day meeting). Just two years removed from a national championship, Auburn finished 3-8 overall and 0-8 in the SEC. Chizik was fired the following day.

55. Auburn 31, Alabama 27 (1995)

The roles had reversed in the Iron Bowl rivalry, with 8-2 Alabama the one having to play spoiler after landing in hot water with the NCAA for the first time in program history. The Crimson Tide was banned from the postseason after mishandling the Antonio Langham eligibility case, as Auburn had been the two previous years. The game was tied 24-24 after three quarters and Alabama went on top by a field goal early in the fourth, but Terry Bowden’s Tigers got Fred Beasley’s 22-yard touchdown run to take the lead for good with 10:18 remaining. Auburn then withstood a late drive by Alabama — which included one play where Curtis Brown narrowly failed to get a foot in bounds in the end zone — to pull out the win.

54. Alabama 25, Auburn 7 (1951)

Another in a series of blowouts in the rivalry’s early days, this one was different for a couple of reasons. First, the losing team actually scored. Second, it was Jordan’s first Iron Bowl. It was Alabama’s Marlow who was the star, running for three touchdowns and 232 yards, the most-ever in the Iron Bowl to that point and still third all-time.

53. Alabama 28, Auburn 0 (1975)

A once-beaten Alabama team on the fringe of the national championship race piled on three touchdowns in the second half, shutting out Auburn in Jordan’s final Iron Bowl. The venerable Auburn coach — who had announced his impending retirement before the season — ended his career with a 9-16 record in 25 games vs. Auburn, but just a 5-13 mark against Bryant. The Tigers finished the year 3-6-2, going 0-3-1 in November. Alabama won the SEC title for the fifth straight year.

52. Auburn 28, Alabama 23 (2003)

This game is remembered for one play, but what a play it was. Cadillac Williams ran 80 yards for a touchdown on the first snap of the game, as Auburn jumped out to an 18-2 after one quarter and then held on at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Both teams had been through a tumultuous few months, with Alabama still under NCAA sanctions and on its third coach — Mike Shula — in less than a calendar year following Dennis Franchione’s departure and Mike Price’s meltdown. Auburn began the season ranked No. 6 nationally, but was just 6-5 by the time of the Iron Bowl. “JetGate” was revealed a few days later (Google it).

51. Alabama 24, Auburn 16 (1968)

For the first time since 1956, neither the Crimson Tide nor the Tigers were ranked in the national Top 10 when they met at Legion Field. It was Alabama’s Mike Hall who was the hero on this day, catching a touchdown pass on offense and intercepting a pass on defense as the Crimson Tide built a 21-3 lead in the third quarter before withstanding a late charge by the Tigers. It was the fifth straight victory by Bryant and Alabama over Jordan and Auburn, tying the Tigers’ streak of 1954-58 for the longest in Iron Bowl history up to that time.

50. Alabama 52, Auburn 21 (2018)

Alabama entered the Iron Bowl undefeated and ranked No. 1 for the third straight year, and made short work of 7-4 Auburn behind a record-setting day from Tua Tagovailoa. The left-hander threw for an Iron Bowl record five touchdowns and also ran for one as the defending national champion Crimson Tide broke open a close game with 35 second-half points. Alabama’s senior class also recorded its 53rd win, a major-college record at the time.

49. Alabama 30, Auburn 12 (2016)

It was freshman Jalen Hurts who was the star two years earlier in Tuscaloosa, overcoming two first-half interceptions to pass and run the top-ranked and unbeaten Crimson Tide to victory. Gus Malzahn’s 13th-ranked Tigers managed just four Daniel Carlson field goals against one of the great Alabama defenses of the Saban era.

48. Alabama 42, Auburn 14 (2011)

Saban and second-ranked Alabama got revenge for the “Camback” the previous year in Tuscaloosa by scoring its largest margin-of-victory in an Iron Bowl played in Auburn. AJ McCarron threw three touchdown passes in the first half as the Crimson Tide led 24-7 at the break. Trent Richardson also added 204 yards rushing for Alabama, which later beat LSU in the BCS national championship game.

47. Auburn 10, Alabama 0 (1987)

The second Iron Bowl ever played on “Black Friday” also marked the end of the 50/50 ticket split between Alabama and Auburn fans. Every Iron Bowl played since 1987 — even those in Birmingham — would be designated a home game for the Crimson Tide or Tigers, with one team’s fans given first priority for the majority of tickets. Auburn running back Harry Mose scored the game’s only touchdown in the first half, and the Tigers late stopped the Crimson Tide twice on fourth-and-1 — including once at the Auburn 1 — to secure its first shutout win over Alabama since 1957.

46. Auburn 15, Alabama 10 (1988)

The first Iron Bowl with a designated home team (Alabama, in this case) was also played on Black Friday, and was also a less-than-memorable game for Curry’s Crimson Tide. Auburn had lost out on a shot at the national championship after a one-point loss at LSU in early October, but got a nice consolation prize by beating its arch-rival for the third consecutive time, something it hadn’t done since the 1950s. Neither team scored a touchdown until the second half, with Vincent Harris scoring from the 1 to put the Tigers up 15-3. Alabama got within five late in the fourth quarter, but never got the ball back.

45. Auburn 33, Alabama 28 (1970)

Bryant seemed well on his way to his 200th career victory after the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead, but Pat Sullivan and the Tigers stormed back in one of the better offensive shootouts in Iron Bowl history. The two teams combined for 970 total yards, with Sullivan passing for 317 and Alabama’s Johnny Musso running for 221. Wallace Clark scored from 3 yards out to put Auburn up 5, but the Tigers failed in a try for two. The Crimson Tide drove down the field for the win, but Dave Beck picked off Scott Hunter to seal the win for Auburn.

44. Auburn 14, Alabama 8 (1958)

This game is notable for two things — it was Bryant’s first Iron Bowl, and it was Auburn’s fifth straight win in the series. The four previous Tigers victories over the Crimson Tide had been blowouts, however, an indication that things were about to change in the rivalry. Auburn took a 14-0 lead then held on as Alabama scored a touchdown with a two-point conversion and was moving the ball late. Lamar Rawson batted down a fourth-down pass to secure the victory for Jordan’s second-ranked Tigers, who finished 9-0-1 but were ineligible for a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Bryant’s first Alabama team ended up 5-4-1, his only four-loss season until his final one in Tuscaloosa.

43. Auburn 40, Alabama 0 (1957)

The Tigers have shut out the Crimson Tide only five times in the modern era, and this one helped secure Auburn’s first national championship. The Tigers led 14-0 barely five minutes into the game and 34-0 at halftime on a cold, blustery day at Legion Field. The win capped a 10-0 season for the Tigers, who were ineligible for a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions but still finished No. 1 in the polls to claim the national title. The Crimson Tide finished 2-7-1 in its final game under Whitworth, who was fired shortly thereafter and replaced by Bryant.

42. Alabama 28, Auburn 17 (1999)

The Crimson Tide was 0-4 all-time at Jordan-Hare Stadium before finally breaking the seal and winning the Iron Bowl for the first time as a true road team. Shaun Alexander had a big night for Alabama, scoring three touchdowns in the second half to help his team wrap up the SEC West championship.

41. Alabama 35, Auburn 0 (1973)

“Punt, Bama Punt” had been resonating at Legion Field for almost a year before Alabama put that refrain to rest with a dominant victory to cap its third straight SEC championship and maintain its No. 1 national ranking. The Crimson Tide’s mighty wishbone offense accounted for five rushing touchdowns in running its record to 11-0 and dropping the Tigers to 6-5. After the Iron Bowl, Alabama — which had beaten Virginia Tech (also known as VPI) 77-6 earlier in the season — had a refrain of its own — “Even VPI got 6!”

40. Auburn 49, Alabama 26 (1969)

The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide in emphatic fashion. The two teams combined for 51 first downs, 43 completions and 1,074 yards of total offense — incredible totals for that era. Auburn’s 49 points were also the most any Alabama team had allowed since 1907. Wallace Clark scored three touchdowns for Auburn, while punter Connie Frederick ran 84 yards with a fake for a touchdown. Not to be outdone, Alabama’s George Ranager returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score. Hunter passed for a school-record 484 yards in defeat (a number that stood until 2021).

39. Alabama 17, Auburn 0 (1992)

The second Iron Bowl played on Thanksgiving led off a with a bombshell the previous night. Dye resigned after 12 seasons as Auburn’s head coach, his team headed for a second straight losing season and engulfed in the Ramsey scandal. Gene Stallings’ Crimson Tide, meanwhile, was 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, riding one of the best defenses of the modern era into the national title race. The game was scoreless until that Alabama defense took charge, with Antonio Langham intercepting a pass and returning it 61 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide didn’t need much more than that, holding the Tigers to 165 total yards and shutting them out for the first time since 1975.

38. Alabama 16, Auburn 7 (1990)

Stallings became the first Alabama coach since Red Drew in 1948 to win his first game against Auburn, with the Crimson Tide snapping a four-game losing streak against the Tigers at Legion Field. Philip Doyle field goals accounted for nine of Alabama’s points, with a Robert Jones 1-yard run the only touchdown. Auburn — 7-2-1 and ranked No. 20 in the country— turned the ball over five times and managed just 52 rushing yards.

37. Auburn 18, Alabama 17 (1997)

This might be the only Iron Bowl with two nicknames. It’s either “The Kick II” (if you’re an Auburn fan) or “Third and Dumb” (if you root for Alabama). The Crimson Tide came in 4-6 under first-year coach Mike DuBose, having already secured its first losing season in 13 years. Nevertheless, Alabama led 17-6 in the third quarter against an 8-2 Auburn team that was trying to lock up its first trip to the SEC championship game. Terry Bowden’s Tigers began to rally, however, pulling within 17-15 with 10 straight points. Alabama was trying to run out the clock when fullback Ed Scissum fumbled at the 33 with 42 seconds left after catching a third-down screen pass, a play call that drew the ire of Crimson Tide fans who would have rather seen a running play in that situation. Auburn needed only to move quickly into position for Jaret Holmes’ 39-yard field goal (hence the second nickname). Scissum’s squib kick return and a facemask penalty put the ball on the Auburn 40, but A.J. Diaz’s 57-yard field goal was well short and the Tigers had a one-point victory.

36. Alabama 29, Auburn 13 (2015)

It was redemption for Adam Griffith and a Heisman-securing performance by Derrick Henry as second-ranked Alabama pulled away from Auburn in the second half at Jordan-Hare. Griffith, victimized by the Kick Six two years earlier, kicked an Iron Bowl record five field goals and accounted for 17 of Alabama’s points in a 16-point win. Henry put the Crimson Tide offense on his back by rushing for an Iron Bowl-record 271 yards on a school-record 46 carries — 19 of them in the fourth quarter, including 14 straight to close out the game.

35. Alabama 10, Auburn 0 (1959)

A shutout in the Iron Bowl in the 1950s is something of a “dog bites man” story at this point, but this one was different because it was Bryant’s first victory over Auburn and it snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning streak in the series. Jordan’s Tigers had outscored the Crimson Tide 142-15 in that span, with 21 touchdowns to Alabama’s two. Scooter Dyess scored the game’s only touchdown on a 35-yard pass from back-up quarterback Bobby Skelton.

34. Auburn 9, Alabama 0 (2000)

The first Iron Bowl played at Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium might as well have been the Refrigerator Bowl, as freezing rain made for a miserable day all around. Auburn got only three Damon Duval field goals, but that was enough against a hapless Alabama team that had already fired DuBose (who finished out the season).

33. Alabama 28, Auburn 17 (1998)

This game is notable as the last Iron Bowl played at Legion Field, but also because Alabama overcame a 17-0 deficit to win. It was also the first Iron Bowl to feature an interim coach, with Bill Oliver (the longtime Alabama assistant who had joined the Auburn team as defensive coordinator in 1995) filling in for Bowden, who had resigned under pressure a month earlier. The Tigers took the early lead, but could not hold on as Alexander ran for two touchdowns and caught a third for the Crimson Tide. The Iron Bowl has been a strictly on-campus affair since.

32. Auburn 17, Alabama 10 (2007)

Tommy Tuberville had to use two hands to count his consecutive Iron Bowl victories after this one. It was the sixth-straight for the Tigers, who had never beaten Alabama more than five consecutive times up to that point. It also marked the Iron Bowl debut of Saban, whose inaugural team limped to a .500 finish in the regular season after starting 6-2. In a game played on Thanksgiving weekend for the first time since 1991, Auburn led just 10-7 before Brandon Cox’s 1-yard quarterback sneak iced the victory with 3:58 left. Cox wound up 3-0 as starting quarterback in the Iron Bowl.

31. Alabama 36, Auburn 0 (2008)

The Crimson Tide had amazingly never won a modern Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa before an emphatic shutout victory that marked Tuberville’s last game as Auburn’s coach. Unbeaten Alabama snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tigers, enjoying themselves so much they were still throwing the ball down the field in the fourth quarter.

30. Auburn 22, Alabama 15 (2006)

The victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium gave Tuberville “One for the Thumb” — his and the Tigers’ fifth straight win in the Iron Bowl. Mike Shula’s last Alabama team had a 15-14 lead early in the third quarter, but Auburn scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion and then held the Crimson Tide scoreless in the fourth quarter for the win.

29. Alabama 24, Auburn 23 (1996)

Stallings remains the lone Alabama coach to win both his Iron Bowl debut and swan song after this memorable last-minute victory at Legion Field. Freddie Kitchens hit running back Dennis Riddle on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left to give Alabama the win on Jon Brock’s extra point. Stallings announced his resignation in a tear-filled press conference after the game, though he would coach Alabama in the SEC championship loss to Florida and an Outback Bowl victory over Michigan.

28. Alabama 31, Auburn 7 (2001)

In one of the more surprising results in Iron Bowl history, 4-5 Alabama routed an Auburn team that only needed a victory to reach the SEC championship game for the second straight year. Freshman star Cadillac Williams suffered a broken collarbone early in the first quarter and the Tigers never really recovered as Dennis Franchione won his Iron Bowl debut as Alabama’s coach. Because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, both teams still had another regular-season game after this one — Alabama vs. Southern Miss and Auburn at LSU.

27. Auburn 17, Alabama 7 (2002)

In a second straight stunner, an Auburn team down to its fourth-team running back beat heavily favored Alabama in Tuscaloosa behind 126 yards rushing from Tre Smith and two touchdown catches by tight end Robert Johnson. Alabama — ineligible for the postseason due to NCAA sanctions — looked especially ill-prepared, leaving many to wonder if Franchione wasn’t already planning his exit (he left after the season for Texas A&M). The victory started a streak of six straight Iron Bowl wins for Tuberville and the Tigers.

26. Alabama 17, Auburn 13 (1974)

In the first Iron Bowl played on a Friday and only the second not played on Saturday (after the 1964 Thanksgiving game), Alabama entered the game 10-0 for the fourth straight year. The Crimson Tide led 10-7 at halftime and then 17-10 when Auburn had a touchdown called back by penalty. The Tigers got one last chance in the final minute, but DuBose forced and recovered a fumble in Crimson Tide territory to secure the four-point win.

25. Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (2021)

This one came a hair’s breadth from being one of the greatest upsets in Iron Bowl history, as Bryan Harsin’s 6-5 Tigers led third-ranked Alabama 10-0 after three quarters and 10-3 after punting the ball to the 3-yard line with 1:35 remaining. But Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young drove the Crimson Tide 97 yards in 12 plays to tie the game with a touchdown pass and force the first overtime Iron Bowl. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, both kicked field goals in the second and both succeeded on two-point conversions in the third. After Auburn’s two-pointer failed in the fourth overtime, Young threw to John Metchie for the walk-off win.

24. Auburn 28, Alabama 18 (2005)

The Crimson Tide had a better record than the Tigers (8-2 to 7-3) and was ranked higher (8 vs. 11) coming in, but Auburn dominated this one from the get-go. The Tigers sacked Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle 11 times — including on five of the Crimson Tide’s first 12 snaps — and scored on their first three possessions to essentially put it away early. It was Auburn’s fourth straight Iron Bowl win, a streak that would eventually reach six.

23. Alabama 26, Auburn 21 (2009)

Black Friday at Jordan-Hare Stadium very nearly derailed Alabama’s national championship hopes before a late drive helped the Crimson Tide finish with its second straight perfect regular season. Chizik’s Auburn team led 14-0 early and 21-20 before Greg McElroy led a 15-play scoring march that ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch with 1:24 remaining to keep Saban’s team on track for its first title.

22. Auburn 14, Alabama 13 (1949)

Considering the two teams’ records and what had happened the year before, this might be the biggest upset in Iron Bowl history, even if few who saw it are still living. Alabama came in 6-2-1 after annihilating the Tigers 55-0 the previous year. Auburn was 1-4-3, including a loss to Vanderbilt. Alabama’s Ed Salem missed a game-tying extra point with 1:13 remaining.

21. Alabama 55, Auburn 0 (1948)

This is the one that started it all, the game that came together only after the state legislature threatened to withhold funding if Alabama and Auburn continued to refuse to play each other in football following a 40-year hiatus. Alabama wasn’t great at 5-4-1, though Auburn was especially awful at 1-7-1. Salem was the hero this time for the Crimson Tide, throwing three touchdown passes.

20. Alabama 3, Auburn 0 (1960)

The lowest-scoring Iron Bowl of the modern era matched up teams that boasted a combined record of 15-2-1 and two of the top five defenses in the country. The game certainly lived up to its billing in that respect, as the only points came on Tommy Brooker’s 12-yard field goal in the second quarter (the goal posts were at the front of the end zone in those days). It was the second of four straight victories for Bryant’s Crimson Tide vs. Jordan’s Tigers — all of them by shutout.

19. Alabama 25, Auburn 18 (1979)

The Crimson Tide won nine straight Iron Bowls from 1973-81, but came precariously close to fumbling its chance at a second straight national championship on this day. Unbeaten Alabama led 17-3 before Auburn surged ahead 18-17 with the help of two Crimson Tide fumbles. Steadman Shealy scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to put Alabama up by seven midway through the fourth quarter, then the defense twice turned Auburn away in Crimson Tide territory for the victory.

18. Auburn 21, Alabama 17 (1986)

The greatest trick play in Iron Bowl history helped Auburn start a streak of four straight victories over Alabama. Lawyer Tillman’s 7-yard run with a reverse put the Tigers on top to stay with 32 seconds left, the third straight Iron Bowl heartstopper and the capper in a six-year run that featured some of the greatest games in series history. The ironic part was that Tillman hadn’t even repped the reverse in practice, as the play was designed for Scott Bolton. Tillman tried to call timeout, but wasn’t granted it, so he ran the play anyway.

17. Alabama 7, Auburn 3 (1967)

A rainy, punt-filled day made for a low-scoring Iron Bowl, with Auburn taking a 3-0 lead into the fourth quarter. That’s when Alabama quarterback Kenny “The Snake” Stabler slithered for a 47-yard touchdown with 11:29 remaining, a play immortalized as the “Run in the Mud” (and one on which Tigers faithful swear to this day there was an egregious missed holding penalty). Alabama won its fourth straight Iron Bowl despite just four first downs and 176 total yards.

16. Auburn 10, Alabama 8 (1963)

The Tigers not only hadn’t beaten the Crimson Tide since 1958 coming into the 1963 Iron Bowl, they hadn’t scored in all that time. Things got even more grim when starting quarterback Jimmy Sidle left the game due to injury with Auburn up 3-0 in the third quarter. But backup quarterback Mailon Kent threw a touchdown pass to Tucker Frederickson to make it 10-0 and the Tigers’ defense made it stand despite some late passing heroics by Namath and an 80-yard touchdown run by Benny Nelson.

15. Auburn 23, Alabama 20 (1983)

Bo Jackson was already a household name in Alabama coming into the 1983 Iron Bowl, but he became a national superstar after rushing for 256 yards and touchdowns of 69 and 71 yards on a tornado-warning-filled day at Legion Field. In the first Iron Bowl in 25 years without Bryant, Dye’s No. 3 Tigers also got three field goals from Al Del Greco and a pair of Victor Beasley interceptions to secure the three-point win. Alabama, led by first-year coach Ray Perkins, led 14-10 at halftime and 20-16 late in the third before Jackson’s second long touchdown put the Tigers on top for good. A driving rainstorm kept both teams scoreless in the fourth quarter.

14. Auburn 48, Alabama 45 (2019)

A big-play Auburn defense overcame 515 yards of total offense and a kickoff return for a touchdown by Alabama in perhaps the wildest shootout in Iron Bowl history. The Tigers returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the game, including a 100-yarder by Zakoby McClain in the third quarter. Shaun Shivers’ punishing 11-yard touchdown run put Auburn up for good with 8:08 left, but the game wasn’t in the bag until Alabama’s Joseph Bulovas missed a 30-yard field goal with two minutes left and the Crimson Tide was called for a defensive substitution penalty on fourth down with 1:06 remaining.

13. Alabama 55, Auburn 44 (2014)

The highest-scoring Iron Bowl on record helped Alabama stay in the running for a berth in the first College Football Playoff. Auburn’s Nick Marshall threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns — and lost. The Tigers led 33-21 early in the third quarter and 36-27 later in the same period before Alabama scored four consecutive touchdowns to take control. Blake Sims threw four touchdowns and ran for another for the Crimson Tide, his 11-yard run giving Alabama the lead for good early in the fourth quarter.

12. Auburn 22, Alabama 14 (1993)

In the first Iron Bowl of the modern era played prior to Thanksgiving, Auburn finished off an improbable 11-0 season with a comeback victory over the defending national champions at Jordan-Hare Stadium. First-year coach Bowden’s Tigers were banned from the postseason — and even from television — due to NCAA sanctions, but just kept winning games. Alabama led 14-5 before backup quarterback Patrick Nix replaced the injured Stan White and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Frank Sanders on fourth down to pull Auburn within two. The Tigers closed out the game with 10 straight points, including James Bostic’s clinching 70-yard touchdown run with 2:19 remaining. It remains the only Iron Bowl since 1980 that was not televised.

11. Auburn 26, Alabama 14 (2017)

This is one of only two Iron Bowls in which the nation’s No. 1 team lost (you can probably guess the other). In fact, it was Auburn’s second straight victory over a No. 1 team, having beaten Georgia 40-17 two weeks prior. The win helped push Malzahn’s Tigers into position for a berth in the College Football Playoff despite two losses, but those hopes crashed in a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Saban’s once-beaten Crimson Tide hopped into the playoff instead, and beat the Bulldogs in the title game for its fifth championship in nine years.

10. Alabama 17, Auburn 15 (1984)

The Crimson Tide limped into the Iron Bowl with a losing record for the first time since 1957, but somehow turned away two shots at victory by the Tigers in the final minutes. Most famous was the “Wrong Way Bo” play, when Jackson misheard the play call and left Brent Fullwood without a lead blocker on fourth and short. Alabama defensive back Rory Turner forced Fullwood out of bounds short of the marker. Alabama went three-and-out and punted, however, and Auburn still had a chance at a game-winning field goal. But Robert McGinty’s 41-yard attempt missed badly with seven seconds remaining. The loss also cost Auburn a share of the SEC championship and a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

9. Alabama 21, Auburn 14 (1994)

For one of just two times in Iron Bowl history, both Alabama and Auburn entered the game without a loss. The Crimson Tide was 10-0 and ranked fourth in the country, while the Tigers were 9-0-1 and ranked sixth, having tied Georgia 23-23 the week before to snap a 20-game winning streak. Alabama led 21-0 at halftime before Auburn scored two touchdowns to pull within seven. Crimson Tide safety Sam Shade stopped Auburn’s Sanders just short of a first down with 31 seconds left to seal the Alabama win.

8. Auburn 17, Alabama 16 (1972)

The Crimson Tide lost just one SEC game from 1971-75, but what a doozy it was. In the craziest Iron Bowl finish up to that point, unbeaten Alabama led 8-1 Auburn by a 16-3 score with less than six minutes remaining and had thoroughly dominated the game statistically. That’s when lighting — make that Bill Newton and David Langner — struck not once, but twice. Newton blocked two Greg Gantt punts, and Langner returned them both for touchdowns as Auburn pulled off an improbable 17-16 victory in a game immortalized with the catchphrase “Punt, Bama Punt.”

7. Auburn 23, Alabama 22 (1982)

The Tigers spent the next nine years losing Iron Bowls until a new hero emerged in what would prove to be Bryant’s final game at Legion Field. Jackson, a freshman, went “Over the Top” for a 1-yard touchdown with 2:46 remaining and Auburn held on for the one-point win in Dye’s second season as head coach. It was Auburn’s first victory over Alabama since the “Punt, Bama Punt” game 10 years prior, and perhaps the day the Iron Bowl became a true, evenly matched rivalry.

6. Alabama 31, Auburn 7 (1971)

The only matchup of unbeaten, untied teams in the Iron Bowl was a one-sided affair, and put something of a damper on a Heisman-Trophy winning season for Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan. No. 3 Alabama had installed the wishbone offense that year, and quarterback Terry Davis and running back Johnny Musso combined for four touchdowns on this day. No. 5 Auburn managed just 178 yards of offense, and Sullivan was held without a touchdown pass.

5. Auburn 30, Alabama 20 (1989)

After the Iron Bowl was played exclusively at Birmingham’s Legion Field for 41 years, Auburn coach/athletics director Pat Dye pulled off the greatest coup in the rivalry’s history by taking the game on-campus to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time. Alabama came in 10-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally, though the narrative will tell you Bill Curry’s Crimson Tide had no chance against Pat Dye’s 8-2 Tigers in the rabid atmosphere in Auburn that day. In reality, Alabama led 10-7 at halftime and got back within 27-20 in the final two minutes. Nevertheless, it remains arguably the most-important win in Auburn football history.

4. Auburn 28, Alabama 27 (2010)

The most recent Iron Bowl played on Black Friday looked like for a while like it was going to mar a national championship run for unbeaten Auburn. Alabama, 9-2 but still a talented defending champion itself, led 24-0 in the second quarter before the “Camback” began. Cam Newton ran for a touchdown and threw for three others, including the game-winning 7-yarder to Philip Lutzenkirchen with 11:55 to play. The Crimson Tide helped the comeback along with a pair of key fumbles, one by quarterback Greg McElroy in the red zone and another by running back Mark Ingram, a ball that stayed inbounds after rolling some 20 yards down the sideline.

3. Alabama 28, Auburn 17 (1981)

There’s never been a more-historic moment in terms of national significance then when the final seconds ticked off in the 1981 Iron Bowl and Bryant had his record-setting 315th career victory. The win wasn’t a particularly easy one, as Dye’s first Auburn team led 17-14 late in the third quarter. However, Walter Lewis threw a touchdown pass to Jesse Bendross to put Alabama back in the lead, and Linnie Patrick put the game away with a scoring run of his own. The victory also secured the SEC championship for Alabama and marked its still-record ninth straight win in the Iron Bowl.

2. Alabama 25, Auburn 23 (1985)

The second-zaniest Iron Bowl of them all featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter and the only “walk-off” winning field goal in the rivalry’s history. Alabama led 16-10 going into the final period before Bo Jackson put Auburn up by one with a 1-yard touchdown run. Gene Jelks gave the Crimson Tide a 22-17 lead with a 74-yard touchdown run, only to see Reggie Ware score from a yard out with 53 seconds left to give the Tigers a 23-22 advantage. Alabama had no timeouts, but Shula somehow drove them to victory, with Greg Richardson surging out of bounds at the Auburn 35 after a 19-yard reception and time left on the clock for one play. Van Tiffin scrambled onto the field and drilled a 52-yard field goal, a play ever after known simply as “The Kick.”

1. Auburn 34, Alabama 28 (2013)

Even before the “Kick Six,” this Iron Bowl had it all. Alabama was 11-0, ranked No. 1 and angling for its third straight national championship and fourth in five years under Saban. Auburn was 10-1, ranked No. 4 under first-year coach Malzahn and could steal the SEC West championship with a victory. Back and forth it went, with Alabama jumping on top 28-21 on a 99-yard touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper in the fourth quarter. The Tigers rallied to tie it on Nick Marshall’s 39-yard touchdown toss to Sammie Coates with 32 seconds remaining. Alabama had just enough time to get in position for a Hail Mary or perhaps a game-winning field goal. After T.J. Yeldon went out of bounds at the Auburn 40, Saban successfully lobbied to have one second put back on the clock via replay. You know what happened next: Griffith missed a 57-yard field goal well short, but Auburn’s Chris Davis caught it in the back of his end zone. Davis got past Alabama’s entire coverage unit before he reached the 40-yard line, dashing into the end zone and into Iron Bowl and college football immortality.

So that’s the list. Did we get it right? If not, where did we go wrong? Send us an email and let us know.

Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.