Alabama a 4-Point Iron Bowl Favorite and Other Surprising Questions and Facts

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)—If Auburn truly is the No. 2 team in the nation, why do the Las Vegas oddsmakers have Alabama anywhere from a three- to a four-point favorite against them?

Is it home field advantage?

Is it that they feel Cam will suspended by game time?

Is it Auburn's close calls and Alabama's most recent blowout win against pitiful Georgia State?

Or is it simply that they feel Alabama is a better team?

Whatever the reason, do the oddsmakers surprise you by making Alabama the favorite? They sure did when I looked it up at http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/.

Do the Auburn fans take this as an insult?

Will it cause the Tigers to have a little more motivation coming into the game?

These are questions to be answered in the poll below.

The team favored to win the Iron Bowl by the Vegas lines have won almost 70 percent of the contests. So will it be an upset if Auburn wins?

Who knew the Omicron Delta Kappa Cup, otherwise known as the Iron Bowl trophy, was first sponsored in 1948 by the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, which has a chapter at both schools.

In 1978, it was dedicated to James E. Foy V, an Alabama graduate and former dean of student affairs at both institutions. The trophy is presented at halftime at the schools' yearly basketball game that occurs at the winner's coliseum. After the trophy presentation, the student government association president of the losing school must recite the winner's fight song.

It has always been an honored wager and the bets paid off.

Many people think Auburn's recent six-win streak was the best streak of all time, but Alabama reeled off nine in a row from 1973 to 1981 and only fell short of making two handfuls of wins when Bo Jackson leaped the line in 1982 in the final minutes for a scant 23-22 win.

It was Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's final Iron Bowl.

In the history of this game, when Auburn wins, it's a squeaker. When Alabama wins it's usually three to four times the margin of a normal Auburn win. In Auburn's last six wins, they scored 47 more points than Alabama for an average of 7.8 points.

In Alabama's last three wins, they won by 65 points or an average of 21.6 points.

For Auburn to be considered the "Little Brother" of Alabama, the series is actually quite close. The 72 games are split 40-33-1 in Alabama's favor.

Lowest scoring game? 1960, a defensive fight finally won by Alabama 3-0.

Worst weather game? 1967 in a game where time was called several time because of raincoats blowing from the stands onto the field. In a wild thunderstorm, Kenny Stabler finally broke free for a sloshing 53-yard run for a 7-3 Alabama win.

Will this year's Iron Bowl have more surprises?