Big Wins For Little Brother

I hadn't really put two and two together at the time, but check this out: Several traditional powers lost to their "little brother" rivals this year.

UCLA beat USC
Texas A&M beat Texas
Auburn beat Alabama

The last time this confluence of events happened? 1997.  In total it's happened just five times since 1980 (2006, 1997, 1993, 1989 and 1986).

Comments

[CFR]

Correction: five times since 1980, not six. Sleep deprivation kicking in, I'll be better tomorrow.

[Marty]

Little brother - you really like to get on Auburn fans' bad side, don't you? :-)

[Ltrain]

Dodging Auburn shrapnel in ...3...2...1...

[Paxil]

is it not true though?

[Burrill]

With Alabama being part of CFR's trinity, it makes sense to have them as the big brother.

Plus, haven't you heard? CFR is totally a Bammer. At least, that's the word on the street.

[patrick's crow feast]

6 out of 7 years, and 5 in a row. Little auburn owns bamma.

Bama can't even beat their little brother in tuscaloosa..ever.

but yet cfr's auburn obsession continues to manifest itself every week.

I am sure this onl;y helps him prove he is not an alabama fan. Ehen are you going to post more bear bryant films?

[Marty]

Actually, it's only 4 times since 1980, the 1989 USC-UCLA game was a tie (10-10).

Here's different spin on things...

All three "big brothers" have won on the same year 3 times (1981, 1990, 2001) since 1980, which is less often than the "little brothers" have all won in the same year.

Head-to-head wins since 1980:
Texas A&M 14 Texas 13
UCLA 14 USC 12 (1 tie)
Auburn 15 Alabama 12

So all the "little brothers" have a winning record against the "big brothers" since 1980.

In the Texas A&M - Texas series, Texas has had the upper hand winning 9 of the last 12.
In the USC - UCLA series, USC has had the upper hand winning 7 of the last 8.
In the Alabama - Auburn series, Auburn has had the upper hand winning 6 of the last 7.

So while Texas and UCLA have reasserted themselves in recent seasons after struggling in the series in the 1980's and 1990's, Alabama has not. Auburn has the highest winning percentage in any of the three series since 1980.

[Mark]

Patrick...here, try the Xanax. Really, it's on the house.

[CFR]

Marty,

NICELY done.

[patrick]

he he..really? i am sure you have plenty in your medicene cabinet. Anyway, CFR is a nerd who post crap and then has no response. I am not the one continually posting crap about a school then denying I care one way or the other. Every week bro..something negative about auburn, or pro bama. Which is why I am here..to see what drivil will come out next. strictly for entertainment..i promise i don't obsess about it, i mean i don't have a website or anything..just find it amusing.

[Paxil]

You guys are not getting the main message.

HISTORICALLY, over the entire history of college football, Auburn, ucla, and A&M are without a doubt "little brothers"

When CFR uses that term, he's not talking about the last 5, 10, or 20 seasons.

[Marty]

Paxil, we're talking about almost 30 years here. When do facts start to overtake conventional wisdom? If you're saying that CFR is ignoring the last 27 years and pointing out how surprised we should all be that the "little brothers" actually beat the "big brothers" in the same year, then that's pretty weak.

My point is that it's not surprising at all, and hasn't been for the last 27 years. What relevance does dominance 27+ years ago have on today's game? Do we care any more that Yale, Harvard, and Princeton were once powerhouse programs?

[Burrill]

Marty, you're beginning to sound like Ohio State fans who dismiss Michigan's winning record in the rivalry because some of the wins came in the early 1900s. Historical numbers don't actually become irrelevant.

Besides, I don't think 15 wins in 27 years -- not too far over .500, really -- is enough to invalidate the history that makes CFR consider Bama the big brother.

[Marty]

Given the records in these rivalries since 1980, what is the point of the original post?

[CFR]

I'll revisit this sometime this week :o). Nicely done everyone.