Auburn Football: Pat Dye’s 3 best seasons with the Tigers

1. 1983 Auburn football season

The 1983 Auburn Tigers are the best team Pat Dye ever coached on the plains and might be the best team in program history. Does it help that team had a future Heisman Trophy winner and progenitor of the freak athlete on its roster? Absolutely.

Paul “Bear” Bryant and Dye were in a recruiting war for high school phenom Vincent “Bo” Jackson. It only took coach Dye promising Jackson he would start as a freshman to get him to Auburn.

Led by Jackson, Lionel James and Tommy Agee, the Tigers ran all over the competition to the tune of 293.7 rushing yards per game. Jackson led the Tigers with over 1,200 yards rushing.

After an early loss to No. 3 Texas, the Tigers won every other game that season. They broke the losing streak to the Crimson Tide and won Dye’s only Sugar Bowl against Michigan. This season also marked Dye’s first of four conference titles.

During their 10-game winning streak, the Tigers defeated five bowl teams: Florida State, Florida, Maryland, Georgia and Alabama. The 11 wins were his best in a single season. Their No. 3 postseason ranking was the highest at Auburn under Dye as well.