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50 years ago : Alabama at Auburn regular season finale March 8, 1975

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  Alabama and Auburn meet in Auburn in both teams' regular season basketball finale on Saturday, March 8. A lot will be on the line Saturday including of course, "bragging rights" but also seeding which will be announced Sunday, the 16th. An Auburn win will all but cement a number one seed if not 'overall' number one seed. An Alabama win and a few wins in the SEC Tournament could put them as a two seed. But barring a colossal collapse they will be a three seed at worst. These two also met 50 years ago in Auburn to end the regular season with a whole lot more on the line in a different era of college basketball. C.M. Newton and All-America Leon Douglas came to Auburn with a share of the SEC Title looking for the outright title and a home NCAA Tournament game  Following the 1973-1974 season the NCAA expanded the post season tournament from 25 to 32 teams. The biggest component of this was for the first time conferences being able to send an additional team to the to...
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When the Alabama-Vanderbilt game was for a berth in the Rose Bowl

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  Alabama and Vanderbilt meet in Nashville this fall for the 86th time in their history. That's only three fewer meetings than Alabama has had versus Auburn. Alabama should win this game with ease as the Tide looks to play in the revamped playoff format. Vandy will certainly try --and hope to win,but realistically hope for a good performance and respectablity. As the 86th game looms, the Tide leads the series 63-18-4. But there was a time when this was a big game and not a 'gimme' for Alabama.  Vanderbilt quarterback Watson Brown asks the crowd for silence as Vandy upsets Alabama, 14-10 in 1969 In fact when Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant answered "Mama's Call" in 1958 Alabama led the series by a mere 17-16-2. With the exception an occassional dip in the road,Alabama has continued to play for conference and national championships. Vanderbilt has emerged as a college baseball power. But way back in 1937 these two were as good as any team in America and argua...
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