Auburn is trying to catch up to Alabama in the race for claimed national championships.
The Tigers announced Tuesday it will recognize themselves as nine-time football champions. The school had previously touted itself as a five-time national champion. But Auburn is no longer going to be humble, according to athletic director John Cohen.
“For too long, Auburn has chosen a humble approach to our program’s storied history — choosing to recognize only Associated Press national championships,” Cohen told On3. “Starting this fall, we have made the decision to honor the accomplishments of our deserving student-athletes, coaches and teams from Auburn’s proud history. Our visible national championship recognitions now align with the well-established standard used by the NCAA’s official record book and our peers across the nation.
Before Tuesday, Auburn claimed titles in 1913, 1957, 1983, 1993 and 2010. Now, titles in 1910, 1914, 1958 and 2004 are being added to the mix.
You may remember the BCS existed in 2004, and Auburn did not play for the national championship. The Tigers were 12-0 but were third in the BCS rankings behind undefeated USC and undefeated Oklahoma.
After USC blew out the Sooners for the national championship, Auburn finished No. 2 in the final AP Top 25 with three of 65 first-place votes. The other 62 went to USC. The Tigers also finished second in the coaches poll.
Auburn’s feelings toward being excluded from the BCS title game that year are well-known at this point. You can understand why the Tigers want to claim a national title for that season. But you also have every right to laugh at that claim and recognize it as illegitimate.
Pre-BCS titles are murkier, and why a school like Alabama claims 18 national titles. Twelve of those championships came before the BCS and subsequent College Football Playoff existed. For example, Alabama's 1941 title is claimed from a 9-2 season that saw it atop the Houlgate System's rankings.
Auburn is also using similar logic. For example, the school's new 1914 title is via the James Howell Power Ratings, though at least Auburn went 8-0-1 that season and didn't allow an opponent to score.
If you're worked up about Auburn's decision to suddenly claim four more titles, you can take solace that the Tigers' chances at an official 10th national title don't appear to be very realistic anytime soon. The Tigers are 66-1 to win the 2025 title at BetMGM and have the 10th-best odds to win the SEC.
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