By admin 
Auburn and Georgia first met in 1892, beginning a rivalry that has survived generations of players, coaches and changing college football landscapes.
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More than 130 years later, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is still adding chapters to one of the sport’s longest-running feuds.
So much so, we ranked it 14th among the 25 rivalries that define college football.
Every fall, the Tigers and Bulldogs meet with two passionate fan bases, two proud programs and a long history of memorable finishes, bizarre moments and major SEC implications.
Georgia leads the all-time series 66-56-8 heading into the Oct. 17 matchup (3:30 p.m. ET/ESPN) in Athens, but the numbers only tell part of the story.
Because Auburn-Georgia has never needed much help creating drama.
The rivalry has produced blowouts, classics and finishes that seem almost impossible to script.
Notably, there was the time Georgia’s mascot became part of the action.
In 1996, Auburn receiver Robert Baker scored a touchdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium and found himself heading toward Uga V and his handler, Charles Seiler.
Seiler later recalled that the noise from the touchdown startled the dog.
“Bulldogs are kind of bred to run and catch things,” Seiler told ESPN in 2016.
He said Uga saw Baker coming, lunged at him and was stopped only because Seiler had a short leash.
“It was a good thing that I had the leash and that the leash was short or Uga would have lit him up,” Seiler said.
The unusual scene quickly became one of the more memorable moments of one of the more memorable games – Georgia won 56-49 in four overtimes in the 100th meeting between the teams – in a rivalry already known for its unpredictability.
Then there was the Prayer at Jordan-Hare.
In 2013, Georgia appeared to have pulled off a dramatic comeback against Auburn, overcoming a 27-7 deficit to take a 38-37 lead late in the fourth quarter.
But the Tigers had one more chance.
On fourth-and-18, quarterback Nick Marshall launched a desperation pass toward Ricardo Louis. The ball appeared destined to fall incomplete after being tipped by a Georgia defender.
Instead, Louis secured the ball and raced 73 yards for a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining and Auburn went on to a stunning 43-38 victory.
The play became known as the Prayer at Jordan-Hare, one of the most improbable finishes in college football history.
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“That’s a freak play,” Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray said after the game. “It’s like a nightmare. You try to wake up, and we are celebrating victory. It’s tough.”
That’s the thing about this rivalry. It has a habit of producing moments nobody sees coming.
The teams, separated by about 170 miles, have spent generations battling for SEC championships (Georgia has 16, Auburn has eight), national relevance, recruiting ground and bragging rights across the Deep South.
The rivalry also has something few others can claim: three centures of longevity.
The players change. Coaches come and go. College football itself evolves.
But Auburn and Georgia keep coming back to each other.
Some games have carried conference title or national championship implications.
Others have simply been about beating the team on the other side.
Either way, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry has a way of making the game feel bigger than the standings.
It’s history, geography, tradition and SEC football wrapped into one fall Saturday.
And after more than 130 years, Auburn and Georgia are still finding new ways to add another chapter.
On Oct. 17, they’ll do it all over again in Athens.
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
The post Auburn-Georgia rivalry: Over 130 years of history, drama and unforgettable moments appeared first on Student Section.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 7:45 AM.