If you are Auburn, do you root for Alabama or Michigan?
If you are Auburn, do you root for Alabama or Michigan?
Do you root for Alabama because, you know, "Ess Eee See!!!" and all that? Or do you root for Michigan because you would root for the University of Iran, College of Nuclear Studies before you would ever root for Alabama?
I hate to say it, but if it was Ohio State playing Alabama on Saturday, I'd have to root for Ohio State, to give the Big Ten a boost.
August 30th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
I lived in Birmingham AL for 7 years. I guarantee you that Auburn fans are rooting against Alabama every chance they get. There is nothing more than they would like to do than taunt their friends and coworkers on a Bama loss on Monday.
Their hatred and dislike for each other is beyond healthy
August 30th, 2012 at 11:03 AM ^
You'll recall that we played both Bama and Auburn in our bowl games in 2000 and 2001.
I posted on MLive in those days and I remember we were bombarded by Auburn fans when the team was preparing for the Orange Bowl. They were giving us constant messages of support and telling us to beat Bama and saying they would be wearing Michigan shirts if they had them. Please beat Bama, please beat Bama they cried.
The following year, we were set to play Auburn in the Citrus Bowl and on MLive, we were bombarded with Alabama fans with support to please put a smacking on Auburn. They're horrible, they must be beaten, GO MICHIGAN! Even though they were smarting from the missed PAT against us in the Orange Bowl the previous year, they were still rooting for us. Then Auburn fans came back and started arguing with the Bama fans and the rest of us had to remind them that this was a Michigan football forum. Take the argument elsewhere. After we beat Auburn, there was a couple dozen thank you's from Crimson Tide nation within 20 minutes of the game ending.
I realize this was just one internet message board over a decade ago but if I had to guess, I'm thinking Auburn has our backs on Saturday.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^
August 30th, 2012 at 11:10 AM ^
Auburn Fans want Michigan to win for the most part.
LSU fans for whatever reason, almost all want Alabama to win.
This shouldn't surprise anyone as the south is as backwards as it gets.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:30 AM ^
auburn fans are classless, jealous stepchildren. LSU fans are uber-classless criminal derelicts who want revenge.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
Not once have I ever rooted for ohio or msu except when they play each other. Then I root for the outcome that best benefits UM. Of course, I'd prefer it if the earth suddenly opened up and swallowed the entire stadium whole but that only happens in the movies.
I'd imagine there's a bunch of Auburn fans that feel the same way about Bama and then there's the SEC 4 evah!!111!!! douchebags. Whatever. Just win, baby.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
is to root for what you can control. If Bama wins and Auburn beats Bama it improves their stock two fold. However with that said and as mentioned in earlier posts, I don't care what it does for Michigan I won't EVER root for ohio for any reason for anything.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^
As a Bama fan and Southerner, I might be able to help here.
Generally speaking, at least 50% of any particular SEC fanbase is physically unable to root for a hated rival, and they also feel this way about a select few other teams for various reasons. Alabama fans, in particular, detest tennessee and auburn as rivals, but also loathe ND and michigan. They loathe their rivals for obvious reasons, hate ND for reasons dating back many decades (including being over-ranked forever), and Mich mostly because of a missed XP.
I personally hate in this order 1a) auburn 1b) tenn 2) USC (I detest everything about LA), BoiseSt (the blue field and SOS), and OSU (for being perpectually over-rated for the last 15 years or so and taking up space in nat'l title games, IMO. Also, what's a buckeye? A nut? I've got 2 nuts right here and you don't see me bragging about it.). I like Mich cause I liked your uni's when I was young. ND is irrelevant in all ways.
Having said all that, I can desire one of my hated rivals to win one of their games if it helps Bama, but I unable to actually ROOT for them during the game. I do generally, like most SEC fans, pull for SEC teams, but that's mostly due to my desire for the teams on our schedule to be reanked as high as possible when we play them. Personally, it's much more enjoyable to crush the hopes and dreams of an auburn or tenn when they're good as oposed to beating them when they're doormats.
In summation regarding the OP, the auburn fans without class (the majority) will be actively cheering for Bama to lose, lose badly, suffer as many injuries as possible, and then hope the team plane crashes into the side of a mountain. Their jealousy and subsequent hate creates a neglected-stepchild syndrome unrivaled in CFB. Their classy fans, of which there are some, will dispassionately root for Bama simply because it's an in-state school and they often have friends or loved ones they want to vaguely support. I'd put the % of auburn fans rooting for Bama at 20%. I'd put the % of their fanbase with class at about 30%. auburn defines success as beating Alabama; Alabama defines success as winning championships. Therein lies the difference. auburn is your MichSt.
I do agree with the posters who say that SEC fans are more likely to cheer for other SEC schools, but this is because they take pride in all things Southern, not so much because of supporting the conference per se.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
one more thing:
To be fair, I wouldn't ncecssarily put the % of Bama fans who'd cheer for auburn any higher than 20% either, although I'd put the percentage of our clasy fans at about 50%.
The Alabama fanbase is made up of 2 very different groups: educated and uneducated. Given that our fanbase is a good bit larger than auburn's and actually is of very respectable size as compared to any fanbase of any sport nationally. This is due to the fact the Alabama has no pro sports teams; everyone including men, women, children, pets, and inanimate objects love football; football ranks right under Jesus and your Mama of things your instinctly love; the uni's are classically cool; and we're a traditional power.
I say all this to say that while I must admit that Bama has our share or idiots, it's because they are part of the large, uneducated, extremely vocal, and staunchly Southernly-prideful half. The other half of our fanbase very much prides itself and hangs it's hat on being the classiest group of fans in the world. Cursing is not appropriate in a team motto, cupcake teams get standing ovation for walking into our stadium, we never wish anyone to ever get hurt, gloating after a win is shameful (except for Rammer Jammer, which is simply a tradition, although I know many people who leave out the curse word), and tearing down goalposts is for lesser teams. Heck, even our idiots know the last one.
I can desire auburn to win for Bama's benefit and/or if I loathe the other team, but I cannot actually root for them play by play as their uniforms make me sick.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:28 AM ^
Actually the town is opelika.
Those fans hate the other team like we hate Ohio. Logically they should be rooting for bama because a win will improve their strength of schedule. But, I'm sure it's like is and there is no way for that to ever happen.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^
No way I ever ever root for OSU in anything. Please!!!!
August 30th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
To me its simple logic. I always root for a team that we are going to play before and after (obviously not while) we play them. This gives our strength of schedule the biggest boost. If we beat a 6-6 MSU team or a 6-6 OSU team that obviously wouldn't give our strength of schedule as much support as beating an 11-1 OSU or MSU.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^
I would say the majority of TN fans (who hate Alabama) still can't bring themselves to root for us. Auburn fans I have spoken with are less inclined to root for 'Bama and may say so to me, but I think they are still doing the SEC homer thing. For them - in is more a win-win - if we win, they will be unmerciful to Bama fans - if they win they just say..meh...SEC is better
August 30th, 2012 at 11:36 AM ^
My wife grew up in Alabama. Almost all of her friends from high school went to Alabama or Auburn. Her facebook has been riddled with Auburn fans posting “Go Blue” etc. So from my admittedly small sample size, I think the Alabama / Auburn rivalry is heated enough that Auburn fans will always root against Alabama.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:48 AM ^
And shame on you for saying you'd root for ohio.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
This is like asking a Michigan fan if we cheer for Ohio when they are playing an SEC school in their bowl game. On the one hand, it's great to see the B1G represent the conference well but at the same time....it's Ohio.
August 30th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
This post inspired me to write what became my first diary piece...
August 30th, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^
August 30th, 2012 at 1:57 PM ^
I wouldn't root for ohio if they were playing nazi germany...unless someone their win helps us.
August 30th, 2012 at 4:16 PM ^
who also happens to live in Michigan for the last ten years. He always, always roots for the SEC. He has no respect whatsoever for the B1G. He'll just say things like "it's just different down there, it's just better". or "I know they cheat, everyone does though. If you guys don't then you won't win"
That being said, he didn't go to Auburn. I guess he's the equilivant of the save-a-lot-sportan.
Oh yeah, he's also an idiot.
August 30th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^
is to live in Ohio for a while, to surround yourself with Buckeye fans, to be confronted with your hatred for them every minute of every day.
They live with each other. The rivalry is local in a way Ohio/Michigan is not. If you can somehow imagine a merger of OSU and Michigan State with the combined campus in Toledo you'll have it.