247Sports’ Dean Straka woke up and chose violence for however many days it took to write his college football’s biggest one-hit-wonder teams since 2000 list this past week. In calling the 2010 Auburn football team a “one-hit-wonder”, an entire gridiron Tigers era was disrespected.
Tommy Tuberville twice led AU to 10+ win seasons during the 2000s. In fact, his undefeated 2004 #3-ranked team is considered by many the true national champion that season due to the vacant USC title that resulted from Reggie Bush receiving impermissible benefits.
They won the Sugar Bowl that year against a top 10-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies and picked off Nebraska on New Year’s Day in 2007 at that year’s Cotton Bowl after going 11-2 in 2006.
Two NY6 bowl wins in addition to a national championship appearance make a one-hit-wonder not, Mr. Straka.
That isn’t even to mention Gus Malzahn’s first Tigers team that came within minutes of a National Championship seven-and-a-half years ago. Speaking of which, Straka’s explanation seemingly makes Florida State an entrant on this list after they failed to win another title and fell off a cliff in recent years.
This was his write-up of the Cam Newton-led “one-hit-wonder” title team:
"There are a few Auburn football seasons that could probably qualify — or at least be considered — as a “one hit wonder” since the turn of the century, but the 2010 season stands tall above the rest, thanks to Cam Newton.But after Newton left that offseason and became the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, things went back to looking much like the way they had previously been — the Tigers went 8-5 in 2011 and 3-9 in 2012 — before a regime change in 2013 had Auburn improbably competing for a national title once again that fall."
Auburn football is a pillar of college football year in and year out because of their standing as one of the top teams in college football’s best conference. The SEC just means more, and the contributions from the Plains is a major reason why.
Here’s to 2006 Texas and 2013 Florida State making this list instead.