ESPN ranks Top Five moments in Iron Bowl rivalry history

The Iron Bowl is widely-known as one of college football’s most compelling rivalry series and for good reason given all the memorable plays and players that have come out of the nearly nine-decade history. As part of its 50 States in 50 Days tribute to Alabama, ESPN unveiled its Top 5 Iron Bowl moments during Tuesday morning’s SportsCenter.

Given all the legendary moments in the intra-state rivalry series between Alabama and Auburn, ESPN might have a bit of recency bias with four of the five moments all coming since 2010. The lone exception was the epic “Bo Over The Top” play by then-freshman Tigers running back Bo Jackson in 1982.

Of course, that left out the famed “Run in the Mud” touchdown run from Alabama quarterback Kenny Stabler to win the 1967 Iron Bowl, 1972’s “Punt Bama Punt” when Auburn returned two blocked punts for touchdowns to begin a nine-game winning streak in the series, and Crimson Tide kicker Van Tiffin’s incredible game-winning 52-yard field goal in the 1985 game, just to name a few.

Check out ESPN’s full Top 5 list of the best plays in Iron Bowl history below:

5. The First Overtime (2021)

Bryce Young wrapped up his 2021 Heisman Trophy-winning regular season by directing a game-tying 12-play, 97-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of regulation to force the first overtime in the 89-game history of the rivalry. Young found Ja’Corey Brooks in the back of the end zone on a 28-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 10-all with just 24 seconds remaining. Four overtimes later, Young and John Metchie connected for the second of back-to-back two-point conversions to secure the 24-22 Alabama victory inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

That regular season-ending win effectively locked up Young’s Heisman win — Alabama’s second consecutive after DeVonta Smith won in the 2020 season and fourth all-time — and carried over a week later with a 41-24 upset of then-No. 1 Georgia for a second straight SEC Championship. Of course, the Bulldogs got their revenge by knocking off the top-ranked Tide in the 2022 College Football Playoff national championship game.

4. Bo Over The Top (1982)

Auburn freshman running back Bo Jackson sent legendary Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant into retirement with a memorable Iron Bowl defeat in his final game in the rivalry. Alabama led 22-17 when Jackson took the handoff from Tigers quarterback Randy Campbell and leapt up and over the pile of bodies for the game-winning touchdown and a 23-22 win with 2:26 remaining.

The victory was the first-ever in the Iron Bowl rivalry for Auburn head coach Pat Dye and snapped a 9-year losing streak for the Tigers. Auburn and Dye would go onto also win the 1983 Iron Bowl behind 256 yards from Jackson to claim the program’s first SEC championship en route to winning the 1983 national championship with a 9-7 victory over Michigan in the Sugar Bowl the following season.

3. The Camback (2010)

Spurred by eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton, No. 2 Auburn rallied from a 24-0 deficit in the second quarter to knock off No. 9 Alabama 28-27 in the 75th Iron Bowl inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Trailing 27-21 early in the fourth quarter, Newton found tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen for the game-winning 7-yard touchdown pass with 11:55 left in regulation on a play that will go down in history as “The Lutzie” due to Lutzenkirchen’s celebratory dance.

No. 1 Auburn and Newton would go onto dominate South Carolina and win the SEC Championship a week later before holding off 2nd-ranked Oregon for a 22-19 victory to win the 2011 BCS National Championship game on a 19-yard field goal from Wes Byrum as time expired. It capped a historic 2010 season for the Tigers and Newton, who would go onto become the No. 1 overall pick for the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft.

2. Fourth and 31/The Gravedigger (2023)

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe capped an otherwise disappointing game with arguably the most surprising ending in the nearly 90-year history of the Iron Bowl rivalry series. Backed into a fourth-and-31 situation trailing Auburn 24-20 with just 32 seconds left in regulation, Milroe found Isaiah Bond in the back left corner of the end zone for the game-winning 31-yard touchdown pass on a play termed “The Gravedigger.”

That Irow Bowl victory would end up being Nick Saban‘s final in his 17-year career in Tuscaloosa as Alabama’s legendary head coach opted to retire following the 2023 season, which ended with a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff national semifinal. The 72-year-old Saban would walk away as college football’s only seven-time national champion head coach, having won six titles with the Crimson Tide.

1. The Kick Six (2013)

No surprise here, especially given the implications and how it all went down. Known as “the Kick Six,” Auburn cornerback Chris Davis fielded a missed 57-yard field goal from Alabama freshman kicker Adam Griffith in the back of the end zone and returned it 109 yards with no time on the clock, streaking down the Auburn home sideline for the game-winning score in the 34-28 win over the top-ranked Crimson Tide. It’s also the origin of late broadcaster Rod Bramblett‘s famous “They’re not going to keep them off the field tonight” line as Tigers fans flooded over the Jordan-Hare Stadium hedges to storm the field.

The win not only knocked rival Alabama out of the SEC Championship game, it also punched the Tigers’ ticket to Atlanta en route to a 59-42 win over Missouri a week later thanks to a league-title game record 304 rushing yards from Tre Mason, who punched his own ticket to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony with the performance. Auburn would ultimately lose to No. 1 Florida State, 34-31, in the 2014 BCS National Championship game after FSU QB Jameis Winston outdueled Mason and Tigers QB Nick Marshall with a game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left.