Interesting fact about this game - Auburn was being led by interim head coach and former Alabama player/defensive coordinator "Brother" Bill Oliver. Bama AD Hootie Ingram promised Oliver in 1995 that he would be Stallings' successor, but that fell through when Ingram resigned amidst the Langham scandal. Oliver then became the Auburn defensive coordinator in 1996. Alabama replaced him by promoting Linebacker's Coach Mike DuBose, who of course went on to become the head coach. So, if not for Antonio Langham signing with that agent, Oliver probably would have been coaching on the opposite sideline.
Oliver was a mystery to me. He had the great defenses early in Stallings' tenure. But the move to Auburn hurt him. He had zero leadership ability. Someone wrote after this game - what if Oliver came down out of the press box to coach Auburn on the field after Bowden's resignation, or even during the second half of the Iron Bowl after AU made the great defensive stand at the end of the first half?" Too, I have a sneaky suspicion that Oliver is the coach who undermined Bowden. If you read Bowden's book on Leadership that came out in 2001, he talks about a nameless true story where a coach was taperecorded by assistant coaches. I think it was Oliver. Glad that he was not rewarded and that the job went to Tuberville.
Brother Bill had that 98 Auburn team playing much more competitively than Bowden did at the beginning of the season. Still not quite sure what happened there.
That's because the Offseason Trouble of booting Martavius Houston out of repeating team rules violations, Wide Receiver Robert Baker was arrested for Cocaine Trafficking, Losing Signee due to Qualifications
Yeah, a traumatic offseason can definitely spill over into the season. 2003 is probably Alabama's best example of that. An even better example is 2012 Arkansas, a team many preseason magazines had competing for the national championship.
2012 Arkansas was an even worse media prediction than the 2015 Auburn team that was a shoe-in for the playoffs and for Jeremy Johnson winning the Heisman. When you lose to ULM one week, then 52-0 the next, the word "championship" doesn't really come to mind, though.
I have always been a fan of Bama. Through the dark times and now through the current dynasty. A real fan loves their team even when they lose to SW Brooklyn Barber college.
I was 22 years old that year. I was living with my grandparents then in Columbus,Ga. I got so mad that I left the house when Auburn went up 17-0. I drove to Smiths Station to my friends girlfriends house where they were watching the game, and I walk in and look at the score I'm like damn bamas already score 14 points just driving over here. I was so happy when I got back home that I grabbed an apple, went outside to eat it around 11 o'clock, took a few bites and threw it as far as I could. Then I hear CRASH!!! I knew I right then that apple went through someones window by accident. I was so scared that I ran to my car and cranked it up without even turning the lights on until I was a block away,lol! I finally came back home around 4a.m. from my buddies house. I woke up around 10 that Sunday morning and saw the neighbors on the backside of our house to the left with a small window putting in a new window. I felt so bad that I could hardly look their way. But I never told them. And that was the last time I got too excited about an iron bowl win. I remember that night like it was last night.
I was a Third Grade in Elementary School in 1998 we have bad 3-8 season in Football with Off-the-Field Problems, Injuries, Poor Recruiting, Rumors, The resignation of Terry Bowden, the Firing of Offensive Coordinator Rodney Allison. Also the Hiring of Tommy Tuberville from Ole Miss to Auburn in a "Pine Box". There was a settlement of $620,000 of Bowden bought his silence that barred him and his wife from critizing the School, and there was a buyout with a Football contract with Florida State for the Second time in the 1990's that Auburn will not allowed FSU to ruined debut of Tuberville in Tallahassee.
The early stages of the Dark days of Bama football. I remember walking out of LF this night thinking we MIGHT have a chance at the Music City Bowl. LOL
I didn't realize that until you wrote that. Most Bama fans that I talked to were not worried about the 17-0 deficit. Actually, if Bama had not made so many mistakes, they could have had the lead at the half and blown the game open in the second half.
The game the very next year was almost identical to this one in 1999. That's weird, Auburn came out storming again to a multi score lead and then Shaun Alexander just inevitably bled them dry slowly
More like Alabama sanctions to the rescue. Made Tupperware look better than he really was. Since this season in 98, Alabama has 5 National Championships to Auburn's 1. These 2 programs are galaxies apart and always will be. ROLL TIDE!
Moot point now, but I really liked Andrew Zow, Bama's QB. However, it seemed that both DuBose and Franchione were determined to play Tyler Watts. I don't know of a more over-hyped Bama QB recruit than Watts, maybe until they signed Blake Barnett. Watts could not throw, but was a better runner than Zow. But Zow had a great arm, poise, and a calmness about him. But the coach's determination to play Watts hurt Zow. Zow's biggest vindication was coming off the bench in 2001 to lead Bama to wins in their final four games, including the 31-7 smashing of Auburn.
Off the Field problems, Injuries, Controversy, and turmoil boiled Auburn all season long in 1998 that brought the hiring of Tommy Tuberville for 1999 opener against Appalachian State replacing Florida State.
Interesting fact about this game - Auburn was being led by interim head coach and former Alabama player/defensive coordinator "Brother" Bill Oliver. Bama AD Hootie Ingram promised Oliver in 1995 that he would be Stallings' successor, but that fell through when Ingram resigned amidst the Langham scandal. Oliver then became the Auburn defensive coordinator in 1996. Alabama replaced him by promoting Linebacker's Coach Mike DuBose, who of course went on to become the head coach. So, if not for Antonio Langham signing with that agent, Oliver probably would have been coaching on the opposite sideline.
Oliver was a mystery to me. He had the great defenses early in Stallings' tenure. But the move to Auburn hurt him. He had zero leadership ability. Someone wrote after this game - what if Oliver came down out of the press box to coach Auburn on the field after Bowden's resignation, or even during the second half of the Iron Bowl after AU made the great defensive stand at the end of the first half?"
Too, I have a sneaky suspicion that Oliver is the coach who undermined Bowden. If you read Bowden's book on Leadership that came out in 2001, he talks about a nameless true story where a coach was taperecorded by assistant coaches. I think it was Oliver. Glad that he was not rewarded and that the job went to Tuberville.
Wow, no points allowed for Auburn past the 2nd quarter. Love watching Alexander do his thing. Still my favorite Bama player.
We didn't score on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quarter after Terry Bowden resigned at Auburn with a 1-5 record on October 23, 1998
Brother Bill had that 98 Auburn team playing much more competitively than Bowden did at the beginning of the season. Still not quite sure what happened there.
That's because the Offseason Trouble of booting Martavius Houston out of repeating team rules violations, Wide Receiver Robert Baker was arrested for Cocaine Trafficking, Losing Signee due to Qualifications
Yeah, a traumatic offseason can definitely spill over into the season. 2003 is probably Alabama's best example of that. An even better example is 2012 Arkansas, a team many preseason magazines had competing for the national championship.
2012 Arkansas was an even worse media prediction than the 2015 Auburn team that was a shoe-in for the playoffs and for Jeremy Johnson winning the Heisman. When you lose to ULM one week, then 52-0 the next, the word "championship" doesn't really come to mind, though.
I have always been a fan of Bama. Through the dark times and now through the current dynasty. A real fan loves their team even when they lose to SW Brooklyn Barber college.
I was 22 years old that year. I was living with my grandparents then in Columbus,Ga. I got so mad that I left the house when Auburn went up 17-0. I drove to Smiths Station to my friends girlfriends house where they were watching the game, and I walk in and look at the score I'm like damn bamas already score 14 points just driving over here. I was so happy when I got back home that I grabbed an apple, went outside to eat it around 11 o'clock, took a few bites and threw it as far as I could. Then I hear CRASH!!! I knew I right then that apple went through someones window by accident. I was so scared that I ran to my car and cranked it up without even turning the lights on until I was a block away,lol! I finally came back home around 4a.m. from my buddies house. I woke up around 10 that Sunday morning and saw the neighbors on the backside of our house to the left with a small window putting in a new window. I felt so bad that I could hardly look their way. But I never told them. And that was the last time I got too excited about an iron bowl win. I remember that night like it was last night.
I Love Alabama
me to Roll Tide
The way Zow would just flick the ball and it would fly down field was amazing
I was a Third Grade in Elementary School in 1998 we have bad 3-8 season in Football with Off-the-Field Problems, Injuries, Poor Recruiting, Rumors, The resignation of Terry Bowden, the Firing of Offensive Coordinator Rodney Allison. Also the Hiring of Tommy Tuberville from Ole Miss to Auburn in a "Pine Box". There was a settlement of $620,000 of Bowden bought his silence that barred him and his wife from critizing the School, and there was a buyout with a Football contract with Florida State for the Second time in the 1990's that Auburn will not allowed FSU to ruined debut of Tuberville in Tallahassee.
The early stages of the Dark days of Bama football. I remember walking out of LF this night thinking we MIGHT have a chance at the Music City Bowl. LOL
Andrew Zow went 3-1 in Iron Bowls, even during Bama's rough years.
I’ve always considered Zow a slept on QB. He just so happened to be at Bama during mediocre/down years.
Legion Field's final Iron Bowl
It is the final Legion Field in the Iron Bowl Auburn lost 31-17 and finished 3-8
Also, Alabama's biggest Iron Bowl comeback.
I didn't realize that until you wrote that. Most Bama fans that I talked to were not worried about the 17-0 deficit. Actually, if Bama had not made so many mistakes, they could have had the lead at the half and blown the game open in the second half.
Zow was tha man back then
The game the very next year was almost identical to this one in 1999. That's weird, Auburn came out storming again to a multi score lead and then Shaun Alexander just inevitably bled them dry slowly
Both teams were disappointing that season. We were a lot worse, and then Tuberville to the rescue!
Andy Sommers He did saved the program.
More like Alabama sanctions to the rescue. Made Tupperware look better than he really was. Since this season in 98, Alabama has 5 National Championships to Auburn's 1. These 2 programs are galaxies apart and always will be. ROLL TIDE!
Moot point now, but I really liked Andrew Zow, Bama's QB. However, it seemed that both DuBose and Franchione were determined to play Tyler Watts. I don't know of a more over-hyped Bama QB recruit than Watts, maybe until they signed Blake Barnett. Watts could not throw, but was a better runner than Zow. But Zow had a great arm, poise, and a calmness about him. But the coach's determination to play Watts hurt Zow.
Zow's biggest vindication was coming off the bench in 2001 to lead Bama to wins in their final four games, including the 31-7 smashing of Auburn.
wow it's like you read my mind lol.... it got really frustrating at times
Zow was flawed, but played hard
Bridie Croyle was vastly overhyped as well. Injuries ruined his career but he just never lived up to the hype.
Zow was okay. Watts was okay. The program was very "meh" while they were there.
Off the Field problems, Injuries, Controversy, and turmoil boiled Auburn all season long in 1998 that brought the hiring of Tommy Tuberville for 1999 opener against Appalachian State replacing Florida State.
Auburn is and will always be a low rent second rate program.
@@nmor30 shut up Auburn was the highest rate since 2000
Hot dog it looked like Alabama was going to be crushed into the 2nd quarter.
This awful Auburn team going up 17-0 shows you exactly what an awful coach Clappy Dubose was. Great hire!
bite a goat dingy Barn