…The earliest lines on Saturday’s Alabama vs. Auburn game have been released, and the Vegas wizards are predicting a wide margin of victory for The Tide. Some prognosticators have set the line at 17 points, absurdly high for any rivalry game, but maybe not so high for this one.
The winning margin has been more than 17 twenty-seven times! However, only once in modern times (post-Bear Bryant) has either team prevailed by more than this margin (2001 – Black Saturday). In games decided by more than 17, UA is 17-10…AU is 10-17. Fifteen times these contests have been shutouts.
"Black Saturday." The last time, and only time in the post-Bear Bryant era, the Iron Bowl was decided by more than 17 points. Andrew Zow (5) wrecked the Auburn defense, and Alabama upset the Tigers 31-7 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Here’s a rundown of the twenty-seven times the Iron Bowl has been decided by more than 17 points*:
2001 – Alabama 31 Auburn 7
1978 – Alabama 34 Auburn 16
1977 – Alabama 48 Auburn 21
1976 – Alabama 38 Auburn 7
1975 – Alabama 28 Auburn 0
1973 – Alabama 35 Auburn 0
1971 – Alabama 31 Auburn 7
1969 – Auburn 49 Alabama 26
1966 – Alabama 31 Auburn 0
1965 – Alabama 30 Auburn 3
1962 – Alabama 38 Auburn 0
1961 – Alabama 34 Auburn 0
1957 – Auburn 40 Alabama 0
1956 – Auburn 34 Alabama 7
1955 – Auburn 26 Alabama 0
1954 – Auburn 28 Alabama 0
1952 – Alabama 21 Auburn 0
1951 – Alabama 25 Auburn 7
1950 – Alabama 34 Auburn 0
1948 – Alabama 55 Auburn 0
1905 – Alabama 30 Auburn 0
1904 – Auburn 29 Alabama 5
1902 – Auburn 23 Alabama 0
1900 – Auburn 53 Alabama 5
1895 – Auburn 48 Alabama 0
1894 – Alabama 18 Auburn 0
1893 – Auburn 40 Alabama 16 (second meeting of 1893)
*DCT notes that twice the Iron Bowl has been decided by exactly 17 points (1992 – Alabama 17 Auburn 0; and 1901 – Auburn 17 Alabama 0).
A Drug Called Tradition 