Georgia football vs. Auburn: A rivalry of upsets

Early 1900’s

1942

Next we go back to what was almost a devastating upset for Georgia. The Bulldogs were undefeated and ranked no. 1 in the country. Auburn entered Columbus 4-4-1. And somehow the Tigers beat the Bulldogs 27-13.

All’s well that ends well though. Georgia crushed no. 2 Georgia Tech a week later to win the SEC Championship. Then the Bulldogs defeated UCLA in the Rose Bowl to win their first consensus National Championship and the second National Championship in school history.

1933

1933 was the Southeastern Conferences first football season and Georgia was well on their way to the first SEC Championship. The Bulldogs went to Columbus 7-0 with four upset victories. Auburn was 4-3 and didn’t score many points.

As always, all of that is meaningless when Georgia plays Auburn. The Tigers won 14-6 and Georgia lost the SEC Championship.

1926

In the middle of Georgia’s series record nine-game-win-streak, a 3-3 Georgia squad upset a 5-1 Auburn team in Columbus.

1914

Auburn was cruising in 1914. They came to Piedmont Park in Atlanta with a 7-0 record. Georgia was not cruising, instead Georgia traveled to Atlanta with a 3-5 record following five straight losses.

As we’ve come to find out in these last 1,400 words, records are meaningless when Georgia and Auburn play. The two teams fought to a scoreless tie.

1907

Here’s where they all began, the first upset in a rivalry of upsets. Not in Athens or Auburn, nor Columbus or Atlanta, but in Macon. Georgia took a 3-3-1 squad to Macon. Auburn took a 6-1-1 team. Not yet known as the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. But Auburn was Georgia’s first rival, just as Georgia was Auburn’s first.

You might can say that the rivalry became special on November 28th, of 1907. As underdogs seemed to do a lot over the next 100-plus years, they won. Georgia defeated Auburn 6-0. That win also re-tied the series record at 6-6-2. And it created a theme that would persist for 110 years.