The 123rd edition of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry may not carry the same weight many thought it would in the preseason.
No matter the implications, Auburn and No. 6 Georgia will renew their rivalry in Week 11 in Athens, Georgia, at 6 p.m. CST. The classic conference clash will air on ESPN.
Auburn (6-3, 3-3 SEC) beat No. 20 Texas A&M on Saturday thanks to a 14-point fourth quarter, including an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham to Seth Williams with under two minutes left.
No. 6 Georgia clinched the SEC East with a 34-17 road win over No. 9 Kentucky.
The Tigers and Bulldogs split their matchups last season. Auburn decimated Georgia in Jordan-Hare, 40-17 during the regular season for the Bulldogs' first loss. The beatdown was widely viewed as a mulligan for a national-title bound Georgia team that got revenge three weeks later, crushing Auburn 28-7 in the SEC Championship game.
In Athens, the Tigers will be searching for their first road win in the series since a dramatic 31-30 victory in 2005.
For most of the series' history, the teams played in Auburn on even-numbered years and in Athens on odd-numbered years. That changed in 2013, when Georgia agreed to play back-to-back games on The Plains after playing on the road in 2012, as well.
This ironed out wrinkles that arose when the SEC added Missouri and Texas A&M.
Since that season — in which Ricardo Louis caught a go-ahead 73-yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall in a victory known as "The Miracle in Jordan-Hare" — Auburn has had to play both Alabama and Georgia on the road on even-numbered years.
With just one win in the last five meetings, Auburn has relinquished its lead in the series, with Georgia now up 58-56-8 in the all-time series.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
