Auburn Tigers football The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association ( NCAA ) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference . Since its beginnings in 1892 , Auburn football has accumulated 2 national championships , 11 conference championships , 7 divisional championships , 7 perfect seasons , and 3 Heisman Trophy winners . Auburn is the thirteenth winningest football program in FBS history , and has compiled over 700 victories , while appearing in 37 postseason bowl games and ranking fifth nationally for bowl winning percentage . Auburn ' s home stadium is Jordan - Hare Stadium , which becomes Alabama ' s fifth largest city on gamedays with a capacity of 87 , 451 . Auburn ' s archrival is in - state foe Alabama . The Tigers and Crimson Tide meet annualy in the Iron Bowl , one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports . The Tigers also maintain rivalries with SEC foes Georgia and LSU . Auburn ' s winningest coach is Ralph " Shug " Jordan , who led the Tigers from 1951 to 1975 , and won the school ' s first national championship in 1957 . The team is currently coached by Gene Chizik , who was hired on December 13 , 2008 . They are the reigning national champions after defeating the Oregon Ducks 22 - 19 in the BCS National Championship Game on January 10 , 2011 . Beginnings ( 1892 - 1903 ) . The organization of Auburn ' s first football team is credited to George Petrie , who led the 1892 Tigers to a 2 - 2 record . Petrie also chose burnt orange and navy blue as the official colors for Auburn athletic teams , which was inspired by his alma mater , the University of Virginia . The first game was against the University of Georgia at Piedmont Park in Atlanta , Georgia . Auburn won 10 - 0 in front of a crowd of 2 , 000 , in a game that would establish the Deep South ' s Oldest Rivalry . Auburn met in - state rival Alabama for the first time ever at Lakeview Park in Birmingham , Alabama during the 1893 season , which ended with a 32 - 22 victory for the Tigers . Auburn was led by nine different coaches over a 12 - year span , which most notably included John Heisman ( 1895 – 1899 ) , for whom the Heisman trophy is named . During five years , Heisman compiled a 12 - 4 - 2 record , before departing for Clemson in 1900 . Auburn ' s first conference membership came in 1895 , when it joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association ( SIAA ) . The first conference championship and undefeated season came in 1900 , when the Tigers went 4 - 0 under coach Billy Watkins . Mike Donahue era ( 1904 - 1922 ) . In 1904 , Mike Donahue became the tenth head coach of the Auburn Tigers . His first team finished with a 5 - 0 record , marking Auburn ' s second undefeated season . The 1907 season would mark the last time Auburn would play Alabama until 1948 , after a 7 - 7 tie between the two rivals . Donahue ' s most notable season came in 1913 , when Auburn claimed its second conference championship with an 8 - 0 record . The Tigers were retroactively awarded a national title by numerous polls , including Billingsley Report , James Howell , and 1st - N - Goal . The 1914 team also won a conference championship with an 8 - 0 - 1 record , and was retroactively awarded a national title by James Howell . The Tigers would return to the top of the conference once again in 1919 , with an 8 - 1 record . Auburn moved to the Southern Conference in 1921 , one year before Donahue ' s departure from Auburn in 1922 , before becoming the coach at LSU in 1923 . Searching for success ( 1923 - 1950 ) . Auburn experienced a decline in success during the late 1920s , 1930s , and 1940s . The Tigers underwent nine different coaching changes over a 28 - year period . The only conference championship during this time came in 1932 , after a 9 - 0 - 1 season under coach Chet A . Wynne . In 1933 , Auburn , along with 12 other institutions , left the Southern Conference to form the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . Auburn ' s first bowl appearance came in 1936 under coach Jack Meagher after a 7 - 2 - 2 season . The Tigers traveled to Havana , Cuba to play Villanova in the Bacardi Bowl , which ended in a 7 - 7 tie . Auburn ' s first bowl win came after the 1937 season against Michigan State in the Orange Bowl . Due to the events surrounding World War II , Auburn did not field a team in 1943 , but resumed competition in 1944 under Carl Voyles . During Earl Brown ' s tenure , Auburn met Alabama for the first time since 1907 , which ended with an Alabama victory . The Tigers quickly responded in 1949 , as they stunned the heavily - favored Crimson Tide in a 14 - 13 victory . An 0 - 10 season in 1950 called for a change , and marked the end of a trying era for Auburn football . Ralph " Shug " Jordan era ( 1951 - 1975 ) . In 1951 , Auburn hired Ralph " Shug " Jordan to become the new head coach of the Tigers . During his first season , Auburn finished with a 5 - 5 record . He led the Tigers to three consecutive bowl appearances in 1953 , 1954 , and 1955 . Jordan is most recognized for his 1957 squad , which finished the season with a 10 - 0 record , and won Auburn ' s first SEC Championship . The Associated Press named the Auburn Tigers no . 1 in its postseason poll , which marked the first official national championship in school history . Auburn was ineligible to participate in postseason play during 1957 and 1958 seasons due to NCAA sanctions for illegal recruiting inducements . The 1958 team was also named national champions by Montgomery Full Season Championship poll , after a 9 - 0 - 1 season . Auburn went on to appear in bowl games in 1963 and 1965 . Beginning in 1968 , the Tigers enjoyed seven consecutive bowl appearances under coach Jordan . In 1971 , Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan led the Tigers to a 9 - 2 record , and became the school ' s first Heisman Trophy winner . Auburn would go on to lose the 1972 Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma , 40 - 22 . One of Jordan ' s biggest victories came against Alabama in 1972 , when the Tigers shocked the Crimson Tide in a 17 - 16 upset . The 1972 Iron Bowl became known as the " Punt Bama Punt " game , due to two blocked Alabama punts in the fourth quarter , which were both returned for Auburn touchdowns . In 1973 , Auburn ' s Cliff - Hare Stadium was renamed Jordan - Hare Stadium , which was the first stadium in the nation to be named for an active coach . After the 1975 season , Jordan retired after a 25 - year tenure at Auburn . He has remained Auburn ' s winningest coach , with a 176 - 83 - 7 record , and a . 675 winning percentage . Struggle for respect ( 1976 - 1980 ) . Following Jordan ' s retirement , Auburn hired Doug Barfield to become the new head coach . From 1976 to 1980 , Barfield ' s Tigers compiled a 27 - 27 - 1 on - field record , with no bowl appearances . He lost all five games to rival Alabama during his tenure , and was later awarded two victories due to forfeits by Mississippi State in 1976 and 1977 , making his record 29 - 25 - 1 . He was dismissed from his position after a disappointing season in 1980 , as the Tigers finished with a 5 - 6 record . Auburn then hired Pat Dye , a former assistant coach at Alabama under Coach Paul W . Bryant , and head coach at Wyoming at the time . During his first season in 1981 , Auburn finished with a 5 - 6 record . Pat Dye era ( 1981 - 1992 ) . In 1982 , Pat Dye led Auburn to a 9 - 3 record and its first bowl appearance in eight years . The 1982 season would also begin a streak of nine consecutive bowl game appearances . The most notable game of the season came against Alabama in the Iron Bowl , when Auburn snapped the Tide ' s 9 - game winning streak . The 1982 Iron Bowl is widely known as the " Bo Over the Top " game , for Auburn running back Bo Jackson ' s leap over the top of a pile from the one yard line to secure a 23 - 22 victory over Alabama . This would be the final Iron Bowl for Alabama ' s legendary coach , Paul W . Bryant , who retired after the 1982 season . Dye ' s most storied season came in 1983 , when the Tigers went 11 - 1 , claiming the conference championship . Auburn went on to defeat Michigan in the Sugar Bowl 9 - 7 . Some felt that # 3 Auburn should have been crowned the national champions , due to # 5 Miami ' s upset of # 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl , and # 7 Georgia ' s upset of # 2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl . Nonetheless , Miami jumped from No . 5 to No . 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls , while Auburn remained in the No . 3 spot behind # 2 Nebraska . The Tigers were named national champions by various polling organizations , such as the New York Times and Billingsley Report . In 1985 , running back Bo Jackson would become the school ' s second Heisman Trophy winner . Auburn would go on to win three consecutive SEC Championships in 1987 , 1988 , and 1989 . In 1988 , defensive tackle Tracy Rocker became the school ' s first Lombardi Award winner and also won the Outland Trophy . Pat Dye is credited for organizing the first ever Iron Bowl played in Auburn . On December 2 , 1989 , Bill Curry ' s # 2 Crimson Tide ( 10 - 0 ) traveled to Jordan - Hare Stadium , which had surpassed the seating capacity of Legion Field , to face the # 11 Auburn Tigers , who defeated the Tide 30 - 20 . The 1989 Iron Bowl would continue a 4 - game winning streak over Alabama . Since 1981 , Auburn has a 17 - 13 edge over Alabama in Iron Bowl wins . Dye ' s tenure on the plains ended when Auburn was penalized for payments by boosters and assistant coaches to a player , Eric Ramsey . Tape recordings were released that implicated a booster named " Corky " Frost , and present Troy University head coach Larry Blakeney . The controversy landed the Auburn program a spot on " 60 Minutes " and an eventual NCAA investigation . While the investigation did not find Dye personally responsible for rules violations , the NCAA determined that as head coach and athletic director , Dye should have known about and stopped the payments to Ramsey . The fallout from the NCAA probation against the football team pushed Dye out as athletic director in 1991 and as head coach the following year . Over twelve seasons , Dye achieved a 99 - 39 - 4 record , making him the third winningest coach in Auburn football history , only behind Mike Donahue and Ralph " Shug " Jordan . In 2005 , the playing surface of Jordan - Hare Stadium was named " Pat Dye Field " in honor of Dye ' s achievements and contributions he made to Auburn during his tenure . Terry Bowden era ( 1993 - 1998 ) . Following the departure of Pat Dye , Auburn named Terry Bowden , son of legendary coach Bobby Bowden , head coach of the Tigers . In 1993 , while serving a one - year television ban and two - year postseason bowl ban due to NCAA probation , Auburn shocked the nation by completing the season with a perfect 11 - 0 record . The Tigers were not eligible to play in the SEC Championship Game , nor a bowl game , but were named national champions by the National Championship Foundation . The most memorable game , of the 1994 season was the " Interception Game " versus LSU . In which the Auburn deference intercepted 7 LSU passes , returning 3 for touchdowns in the 4th quarter ( Ken Alvis , Fred Smith and Brian Robinson ) . During the first 2 seasons under Bowden , the Tigers amassed a 20 - 1 - 1 record . After serving two years of probation , Auburn made three consecutive bowl game appearances from 1995 to 1997 . Bowden ' s 1997 team won the SEC Western Division title , and played in the SEC Championship Game , falling to Tennessee 30 - 29 . In 1998 , Bowden faced criticism for recruiting woes , off - the - field issues , and player discipline , which eventually led to his resignation after a 1 - 5 start on the season . Interim head coach Bill Oliver finished out the season , which ended with a 3 - 8 record . Bowden compiled a 47 - 17 - 1 record at Auburn after six seasons as head coach . Tommy Tuberville era ( 1999 - 2008 ) . Following the 1998 season , Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville left Oxford to become the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers . In his first season , the Tigers finished with a 5 - 6 record , but would return to the SEC Championship Game in 2000 , following a 9 - 0 victory over Alabama , which was played in Tuscaloosa for the first time in 99 years . The Tigers fell to Florida 28 - 6 , but would begin a streak of eight consecutive bowl appearances . Auburn would win a share of the SEC Western Division title in 2001 and 2002 . His 2002 season is most notably known for Auburn ' s 17 - 7 upset victory over Alabama , which began a six - year winning streak over the Tide . Tuberville ' s 2004 team completed the season with a perfect 13 - 0 record and an SEC Championship . Auburn was left out of the BCS National Championship Game , due to its low preseason ranking and the presence of two other undefeated teams ranked higher , # 1 USC ( 12 - 0 ) and # 2 Oklahoma ( 12 - 0 ) . The Tigers went on to defeat Virginia Tech 16 - 13 in the Sugar Bowl , completing Auburn ' s third perfect season in the modern era of college football . USC defeated Oklahoma 55 - 19 to win the national championship , while Auburn was ranked No . 2 in the final AP and Coaches polls . The Tigers were recognized as national champions by various polling organizations , including FansPoll and Golf Digest . Tuberville came under much criticism during the 2008 season for his lackluster performance and coaching staff , including offensive coordinator Tony Franklin , whom he fired after a shocking 14 - 13 loss to Vanderbilt in October . Auburn finished the year with a 5 - 7 record , after a disappointing 36 - 0 loss to rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl , marking the Tide ' s first victory over Auburn in Tuscaloosa and snapping Auburn ' s six - year winning streak . Tuberville voluntarily resigned the following week , stating that he would take a year off from coaching . Over ten seasons , Tuberville compiled an 85 - 40 record at Auburn , while winning one conference championship , five division championships , and completing Auburn ' s third perfect season in modern history . Gene Chizik era ( 2009 - present ) . On December 13 , 2008 , Athletic Director Jay Jacobs announced Gene Chizik , former Auburn defensive coordinator and then Iowa State head coach , as the new Auburn head coach . He received early criticism for his 5 - 19 record during his time at Iowa State during 2007 and 2008 . He quickly began forming his new coaching staff , including offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn , who had coached the nation ' s top offense at Tulsa for the past two seasons . During his first season , Auburn finished with a 7 - 5 record , and defeated Northwestern 38 - 35 in the Outback Bowl , its first bowl game since 2007 . Following the 2009 season , Chizik and his staff secured a top - 5 recruiting class , highlighted by junior college transfer quarterback Cam Newton and running back Mike Dyer . Auburn ' s 2010 " A - Day " spring scrimmage drew a crowd of 63 , 217 fans to Jordan - Hare Stadium , setting a new spring game attendance record . Auburn , led by quarterback Cam Newton , running back Mike Dyer , and defensive tackle Nick Fairley , completed the regular season with a perfect 12 - 0 record , highlighted by a comeback victory over Alabama . The Tide led Auburn 24 - 0 in the first half , only to lose the game in the second half 28 - 27 . It was the largest lead ever blown by Alabama in Tuscaloosa . Auburn went on to defeat South Carolina 56 - 17 in the SEC Championship Game , which secured a spot in the BCS National Championship Game . This would be the first BCS bowl game appearance for Auburn since 2004 , when the Tigers were left out of the national championship picture . Cam Newton became the third Heisman Trophy winner in school history , while also winning the AP Player of the Year Award , the Walter Camp Award , the Davey O ' Brien Award , the Manning Award , and the Maxwell Award . Nick Fairley became the second Auburn player in school history to win the Lombardi Award . Auburn faced the Oregon Ducks on January 10 , 2011 in Glendale , Arizona , which ended with a 22 - 19 Auburn victory , secured by a game - winning field goal kick by senior Wes Byrum , who also kicked the game - winning field goals against Clemson and Kentucky during the regular season . Auburn finished the season with a perfect 14 - 0 record , and its first official national championship since 1957 . Auburn celebrated their national championship with a special ceremony at Jordan - Hare Stadium two weeks following the championship game in Arizona . The coaches and players were honored , along with players from the 1957 , 1993 , and 2004 undefeated teams . The event drew over 78 , 000 fans , covering Pat Dye Field and the lower bowl , spilling into both upper decks . A special " reverse " Tiger Walk and special rolling of Toomer ' s Corner also took place . After settling down from the magical 2010 season , Chizik and his staff began preparing to defend their national title . Auburn opened the 2011 season with dramatic wins against Utah State and Mississippi State . Auburn then fell to eventual ACC Champion Clemson on the road in Death Valley , which snapped Auburn ' s 17 - game winning streak ( began on January 1 , 2010 , vs . Northwestern in Outback Bowl ) . The Tigers would go on to complete the regular season with a 7 - 5 record and ranked no . 25 in the final BCS poll , with wins against Florida Atlantic , no . 9 South Carolina , Florida , Ole Miss , and Samford . Auburn fell to Arkansas , LSU ( SEC Champion , BCS no . 1 ) , Georgia ( eastern division champion ) , and archrival Alabama ( BCS no . 2 ) . The Tigers ' 37th bowl appearance will be against the Virginia Cavaliers in the 2011 Chick - fil - A Bowl on December 31 , 2011 . Historical ranking . Auburn has the 13th most wins in D - 1A college football . In terms of winning percentage , Auburn ranks as the 9th most successful team in the past 25 years with a 71 % win rate ( 213 - 86 - 5 ) and 9th over the last half century ( 1955 – 2010 ) with 69 % . Of the 93 current I - A football programs that been active since Auburn first fielded a team 116 years ago , Auburn ranks 15th in winning percentage over that period . The College Football Research Center lists Auburn as the 14th best college football program in history , with eight Auburn squads listed in Billingsley ’ s Top 200 Teams of All Time ( 1869 – 2010 ) . After the 2008 season , ESPN ranked Auburn the 21st most prestigious program in history . The Associated Press poll statistics show Auburn with the 11th best national record of being ranked in the final AP Poll and 13th overall ( ranked 496 times out of 1021 polls since the poll began in 1936 ) , with an average ranking of 11 . 02 . Since the Coaches Poll first released a final poll in 1950 , Auburn has 26 seasons where the team finished ranked in the top 20 in both the AP and Coaches Polls . Heisman links . Three Auburn players , Pat Sullivan in 1971 , Bo Jackson in 1985 , and Cam Newton in 2010 , have won the Heisman Trophy . The Trophy ' s namesake , John Heisman , coached at Auburn from 1895 until 1899 . Of the eight schools of which Heisman coached ( among others , Georgia Tech and Clemson ) , Auburn is the only school that has produced a Heisman Trophy winner . The Auburn Athletic Department has announced that it will honor the school ' s three Heisman winners with statues , along with a bust of coach John Heisman , outside the east side of Jordan - Hare Stadium . Modern history . While Auburn football has a long and storied history , the Tigers have been quite successful in recent years . Since the expansion of the SEC and the split into divisions , Auburn has been the winningest SEC West team in league play since the conference realignment in 1992 . As of the end of the 2010 season , Auburn teams have won 41 of their last 58 conference matchups including 20 of the last 28 SEC away games . The Tigers seem to perform best when facing their greatest challenge as , in addition to the success on the road in the SEC , Auburn teams have won 12 of their last 19 matchups versus top - 10 opponents . The Tigers also have done well protecting Jordan - Hare Stadium , particularly at night where the home team has won 21 of the 25 night games since 2000 . Over the five previous seasons , Auburn won 47 games ( 72 . 3 % ) . 1983 season . The 1983 Auburn Tigers , led by head coach Pat Dye and running back Bo Jackson , finished 11 - 1 after playing the nation ' s toughest schedule . Their only loss came against # 3 Texas , who defeated the Tigers 20 - 7 . Auburn went on to defeat # 8 Michigan 9 - 7 in the Sugar Bowl . Despite entering the bowl games ranked third in both major polls , and with both teams ranked higher losing their bowl games , the Tigers ended ranked third in the final AP poll . This despite the fact that Miami had played a dead average schedule while Auburn had played one of the toughest schedules in Championship contender history . Auburn received 21 polls to Miami ' s 14 . 1993 season . Head coach Terry Bowden led the 1993 team to a perfect season in his first year on the Plains . The Tigers were the only undefeated team in major college football , however were banned from playing on television or post - season games due to NCAA violations . Rival Alabama was sent to the SEC Championship Game as the substitute representative of the Western Division . Auburn finished ranked fourth in the nation by the Associated Press but was named a co - National Champion by the National Championship Foundation along with Florida State , Nebraska and Notre Dame . 2004 season . The Auburn Tigers ended the 2004 season undefeated , but were left out of the BCS title game because they ranked third in the final BCS rankings . That left undefeated USC and Oklahoma ( ranked No . 1 and No . 2 respectively ) to play in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship . Auburn went on to win the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech . The team finished No . 2 in both the final AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll , following Oklahoma ' s loss in the National Championship game to the University of Southern California ( USC ) . USC was later stripped of the National Championship for violating NCAA rules . 2010 season . On October 24 , 2010 , Auburn was ranked first in the BCS polls for the first time in school history . Their quarterback , Cameron Newton , became a Heisman Trophy winner . He had a total of 2 , 854 yards passing and 30 passing touchdowns . He also rushed for 1 , 473 yards and 20 touchdowns . Auburn ended the 2010 regular season a perfect 12 - 0 after a come - back win over cross - state rival , Alabama , in the 75th " Iron Bowl " game by a score of 28 - 27 . Auburn defeated South Carolina in the December 4th , 2010 SEC Championship game in Atlanta , GA by a score of 56 - 17 . This SEC Championship victory clinched Auburn ' s berth in the BCS National Championship Game which took place in Glendale , Arizona against the Oregon Ducks . The Tigers defeated the Ducks 22 - 19 with a last - second field goal to win their second national championship . Team Awards and records . National championships . Nine Auburn teams have been awarded some form of " National Champions " title , though Auburn only officially claims two — a share of the 1957 title , awarded by the Associated Press ; and an undisputed national championship in 2010 . Future schedules . 2011 schedule . The 2011 Auburn Tigers defended their national championship with the youngest team in NCAA Division I FBS . The Tigers went 7 - 5 , with victories against Utah State , Mississippi State , Florida Atlantic , South Carolina , Florida , Ole Miss , and Samford . Auburn fell to two conference champions ( Clemson ; BCS no . 1 - ranked LSU ) , SEC eastern division champion Georgia , BCS no . 2 - ranked Alabama , and Arkansas ( second straight 10 - win season ) . Auburn will represent the SEC in the Chick - fil - A Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers , who finished second in the ACC Atlantic division behind Virginia Tech . Auburn finished at no . 25 in the final 2011 BCS poll .