College football. In a place like Auburn, Alabama, sports’ importance rank right on up there with religion and politics. The fans are die-hard. The players are celebrities. The coaches are like some kind of god. The rivalries go back decades, sometimes even centuries.

People argue that the greatest rivalry in college football is Army and Navy. Some say that it’s Michigan and Ohio State. In my opinion, the best college football rivalry in the United States of America is Auburn University and the University of Alabama. The teams face-off annually in a game known as the Iron Bowl.

The first Iron Bowl was played on February 2, 1893 in Birmingham, Alabama. Auburn won that game 32-22. Throughout the hundred-something years this game has been played, Alabama has come out on top 42 times. Auburn has been victorious a total of 34 times. Only one game has resulted in a tie.

Even way back in the 1800s, Auburn and Alabama did not get along. The teams got into little spats and arguments after the first game in 1893, and it continued for years. Eventually there was a suspension in the series after the 1907 game because the hatred between the two teams had become unbearable. The Iron Bowl wasn’t played again until 1948.

People are always discussing past Iron Bowls, arguing over which game was the best. (Of course, depending on which fans you talk to you will get different opinions. This paper was written by a die-hard Auburn fan.) “Bo Over the Top” is a common contestant. That game, played in 1982, resulted in a victory for Auburn with a final score of 23-22. Younger people would more likely say the game in 2010 was the best one. In that Iron Bowl, Heisman-winning quarter back Cam Newton led Auburn to victory, after being down 24 points. That year Auburn went on to win the BCS National Championship.

You could argue that either of these games or others that I didn’t mention were the best ever. But after this year’s game, you might want to reconsider.

Auburn came into the game with one loss, ranked number five in the BCS polls. Alabama was undefeated and ranked at number one, on the hunt for their third consecutive national title. The game took place in Auburn at Jordan-Hare stadium. People poured into Auburn to see the game. Tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people crowded the campus, just to be in the city during the sure-to-be incredible game.

Auburn got on the board first with a touchdown, going up 7-0. By the second quarter, Alabama had scored 21 points unanswered. On the last drive of the half, Auburn cut it to 21-14. Then in the third quarter, Auburn struck again, tying up the score. After a spectacular punt by Auburn’s Steven Clark, Alabama had the ball on their own one yard line in the fourth quarter. The very first play of the drive, Alabama quarter back AJ McCarron threw a pass to Amari Cooper, putting Bama up 28-21.

With less than a minute left, Auburn drove down the field, desperate for a touchdown. The tiger’s quarter back Nick Marshall found wide receiver Sammie Coates wide open on Alabama’s twenty yard line. Coates ran the ball into the end zone, tying up the game. With about thirty seconds on the clock, the Crimson Tide began to drive to attempt a last second field goal and win the game.

Long story short, Alabama lined up to kick an almost 60 yard field goal with one second on the clock. The kick was short, and Auburn player Chris Davis caught the ball in the back of Auburn’s end zone and started to run. Confused at first, the Alabama players didn’t know what to do. They then raced after Davis, who was already past midfield. Teammates Robinson Therezie and Jonathan Mincy ran on either side of him, blocking any pursuers.

Davis raced into the end zone to score a touchdown with no time left on the clock. 34-28! Auburn won the football game! The fans immediately ran out of their seats and stormed onto the field. The green plain became a sea of orange and blue. Fireworks boomed overheard and music filled the air. You cannot describe that moment as anything other than pure joy for an Auburn fan.

If there’s one thing that being an Auburn fan teaches you, it’s character. In my short lifetime, I have watched Auburn win a national championship. I’ve sat through brutal thirty point losses. I’ve persevered through rain, sleet, heat, and cold, just to watch my Tigers play. I watched my beloved team win only three games last season. This win, against number one ranked Alabama, was the sweetest victory anyone could imagine. It was without a doubt the best Iron Bowl of all time.