Auburn football: Tigers included in every ESPN panelist’s ‘Super League’

The Athletic’s Andy Staples included Auburn football in his mock “college football Super League.” Andy Staples is a smart man.

Now ESPN’s college football roundtable is on the same page. Andrea Adelson, Kyle Bonagura, Bill Connelly, David Hale, Harry Lyles Jr., and Adam Rittenberg are a fine group of young men and women who all agree that the Tigers would be included in the pantheon of college football powerhouse institutions.

While the current group isn’t even expected to be ranked in the top 25, the historical dominance and significance of Auburn football is one that cannot be topped by many schools.

Most criteria for the group’s inclusion of teams was based on the last 15-20 years since the turn of the millennium, and that alone got the Tigers through the door. Of course, Auburn won the 2010 National Championship under head coach Gene Chizik, and many see the undefeated 2004 season under HC Tommy Tuberville as an uncrowned title-winning season as well.

Throw in the 2014 BCS National title game into the mix, and Auburn football’s place among the most elite college football schools in the country shouldn’t be questioned by anyone.

Throughout the years, the Tigers have had some of the notable names in the sport in uniform, even producing a Heisman winner and #1 overall NFL Draft pick in Cam Newton. Countless defensive studs in the pro ranks cut their teeth on the Plains battling overwhelmingly physical SEC offensive lines and unfathomably fast and elusive SEC skill players.

Tank Bigsby is being spoken about in the same breath as the 2021 Heisman, while at least four Tigers could hear their names called during the NFL Draft next week.

Oh, and the most dominant college football powerhouse of the last decade (Alabama) views Auburn football as their biggest rival and has had championship seasons with only one loss on their record…against AU, of course.

No matter the criteria, Auburn is ‘Super League’ material, and ESPN and the Athletic are both right on the money including them.