Alabama, Auburn fans stake claim on Iron Bowl win

TUSCALOOSA | War Eagle.

Scattered caws of the popular Auburn University battle cry pierced the mist enshrouding thousands of tailgaters gathered on the University of Alabama’s campus Saturday morning.

Maybe it was a trick of the mist, but the conviction, the confidence, the umph, that normally accompanies the War Eagle cry seemed lacking.

As soon as they began to build in fervor and spread, they were countered and immediately drowned out by a booming chorus of “Roll Tide.”

Perhaps facing an undefeated Crimson Tide with a losing record was the cause of some of the Tiger fans’ timid battle cries, but none would admit to it.

“We may seem a bit subdued, but that’s because we’re outnumbered,” said Elizabeth Moseman, 53, of Beatrice. “Our school spirit is high.”

Moseman, and her friend, Margaret Brown, 54, also of Beatrice, sat in an orange Auburn tent on the edge of the Quad facing University Boulevard.

In front of their tent was a large white and orange sign that said “We believe, beat Bama!”

“We wanted to throw some orange in there [on the Quad] and mix up the colors,” Brown said, laughing. “There was too much red and white.”

Moseman, who graduated with Brown from Auburn in 1971, said she and Brown were catching a lot of flak from Alabama fans for so boldly representing their school, but it didn’t bother them.

“I’m used to Alabama fans,” Moseman said. “My whole family except me, my husband and our child are Alabama fans. My mother graduated from Alabama when I was in eighth grade.”

“We’re going to go hard for our school, win or lose, here or in Auburn,” she said. “And we just don’t believe we’re going to win, we know it. Any team, any match up, any Saturday, a win can happen.”

Crimson Tide fan Larry Powell, 26, of Tuscaloosa, agreed that on any given Saturday any team can win, but just not Auburn on that particular Saturday.

“I think we’re going to win this game because we have ball control, we’re going to dominate in the trenches, and we’re going to beat them up front,” Powell said after chastising a few of his friends and family members who were Auburn fans but weren’t wearing any Auburn paraphernalia or colors.

“To have the kind of year we’re having and to lose this game to Auburn ... that would be a big let down for the program,” he said, shaking his head. “Auburn has had the balance of power in their favor for the last six years, but a win this year would shift that power back to the Crimson Tide. I call the game 24-10 for the good guys [Alabama].”

Reach Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.