Auburn’s 2013 SEC title game win over Missouri was memorable for any number of reasons — points, yards, importance, etc. — but it wasn’t the first meeting between the two Tiger teams. That came 40 years earlier, in El Paso of all places.
There were some parallels between the early-1970s and the mid-2010s.
- A legendary coach’s final breakthrough: the 1969 Big 8 title for Dan Devine, the 2013-14 SEC East titles for Gary Pinkel.
- A coaching change after a five-win season: Devine went 5-6 and left for the Green Bay Packers, and Pinkel went 5-7 and retired.