Auburn Football: Five Potential Non-Conference Rivals

Oct 11, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Wayne Gallman (9) carries the ball during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson Tigers

This one isn’t exactly a pie in the sky, and it’s possible that the two schools will play slightly more often in future years. Auburn and Clemson met three times from 2010 to 2012 – once on each campus and once in Atlanta as part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff series – and there is a plan in place for them to meet again in 2016 in Auburn and in Clemson in 2017.

More from Auburn Football

• Ex-star Auburn DL confronts ‘slant man’ in MNF post-game video
• Ex-Auburn star laments not getting to face fellow Heisman candidate
• Analyst expects third-year RB to take AU rushing lead from surprising transfer
• Hugh Freeze was the right hire to truly embrace Auburn
• Auburn football Jack LB: ‘We’ve got to earn our respect back’

Because of the South Carolina-Clemson rivalry, and Clemson’s on-again-off-again series with Georgia, it’s unlikely for these two schools to meet more than a couple of times per decade. In fact, prior to the 2010 game in Auburn, the schools had not met in the regular season since 1971. However, they have met 49 times before, which means the Auburn Tigers have played Clemson more than any opponent other than Georgia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Florida or Alabama.

Auburn holds a 34-13-2 lead in the all-time series, including a 20-4 mark in Jordan-Hare Stadium. In neutral site games, including the 1997 Peach Bowl and the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl (both in Atlanta), the series is tied at 3-3-1.

The fact that the schools have chosen to meet on campus in 2016 and 2017 is great, though having a third game in the recruiting hotbed that is Atlanta made a lot of sense for both programs in 2012.