Auburn fans and Michigan prove the Iron Bowl really does just mean more than 'The Game'

This offseason has provided clarity on what college football's greatest rivalry is. Auburn fans, with a huge assist from Michigan players and coaches, are proving that it's not "The Game," but, in fact, it's the Iron Bowl.

Tiger fans have created a social media movement surrounding Auburn and Alabama's picture days. The Tigers, as they point out, have a neat photo where everyone is sitting, creating a calming aesthetic. Crimson Tide players are standing in theirs, creating a chaotic image.

Literal millions have interacted with the picture day comparison of the Iron Bowl rivals from one Auburn fan:

Alabama Director of Player Development Ha Ha Clinton-Dix even addressed the comparison, saying, "Focused on getting better. We will worry about picture day when it matters." Something as innocuous as team photos becomes a massive story in the industry when the Iron Bowl is involved.

Meanwhile, Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham has made it clear that there isn't "hate" for Ohio State or Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. Whittingham recently doubled down on comments from the 2026 Big Ten Football Media Days, where he claimed there wasn't any "hate" from his side of "The Game" rivalry.

“Do we have a better chance of winning if I hated them? I don’t understand. Whatever gives us the best chance to win, I’m all for it. I want to beat them worse than anybody," Whittingham said to reporters.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood made it so much worse for the Wolverines and "The Game" when he claimed that "It’s just another game. Just, with guys in a different color. That’s how I see it."

Now, credit to Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, who claimed he wouldn't be able to focus if he were to lose to the Wolverines. Sayin was the backup when the Buckeyes lost in 2024, but was able to end a six-year losing streak last November.

Still, way to lower the stakes for one of the sports calendar's most important games, Michigan. The SEC would never.

The SEC will feature raw college football hate in 2026

The Iron Bowl speaks for itself. There is a healthy "hate" that rarely crosses the line and always feels intense when the Yellowhammer State's two SEC schools square off in the last regular-season game. Beyond them, though, there's a ton of hate in the SEC.

For one, the Lone Star Showdown has become a hot rivalry again, even though Texas and Texas A&M weren't playing each other for over a decade after the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. There is never any love lost in the Red River Rivalry, which switched over from the Big 12 in 2024 and now features even more "hate."

That's without even getting into LSU-Ole Miss. That game will have one of the most electrifying atmospheres in the sport when the two programs clash in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 19. That'll be Lane Kiffin's anticipated return to the team he abandoned before the CFP last December. It will be so intense on gameday that heightened security at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is expected.

I guess you just don't get those types of games in the Big Ten anymore, since key figures in the conference's top rivalry don't even think it's a special game.

Again, the SEC would never.

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