Harvey Updyke, Alabama Tornadoes Solidify Iron Bowl as Greatest College Rivalry

The last few months haven't been easy for the state of Alabama. However, through all the struggles the fans at Alabama and Auburn have come together to help one another. They put aside their football differences to lend a helping hand to their neighbor.

It began with Harvey Updyke Jr. poisoning the trees at Toomer's Corner. The 130-plus-year-old trees that have so much tradition for Auburn University were given lethal amounts of a herbicide commonly used to kill trees.

Every school has its weird and quirky traditions, and now the one Tiger fans love the most may be gone.

Not only were Alabama Crimson Tide fans outraged, the entire nation was as well. Alabama fans did their best to help and even created Tide for Toomer's on Facebook, where you can donate to help rehabilitate or replace the poisoned trees.

Updyke, also known as "Al from Dadeville," has been indicted by a grand jury on four felony charges and two misdemeanors. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison for each felony charge. Justice will soon be served.

Not long after Alabama fans began helping Auburn, a deadly tornado tore through the city of Tuscaloosa. You can find all kinds of videos of how massive the tornado was, but one that hits home to the sports world was posted on Twitter.

Here, the devastating tornado narrowly misses destroying Bryant-Denny Stadium. Thankfully no damage was done to the stadium that Alabama fans love so much.

As soon as the storm had passed, Auburn fans acted fast to do their part to help. They created Toomer's for Tuscaloosa on Facebook. They gathered food, water, clothes and any other supplies to help those who lost so much in the tornado.

Neither Alabama nor Auburn had to do anything to help one another. In times of tragedy they forgot about football and helped their neighbors.

The actions displayed by both schools now solidify the Iron Bowl as the greatest college football rivalry. Before you could have made the case for Ohio State vs. Michigan, Army vs. Navy or even Oklahoma vs. Texas.

However, none compare to the Iron Bowl now.

Alabama and Auburn is pretty much all the state of Alabama has in relation to sports. There are no professional teams to cheer for. They live and breathe college football, and they absolutely cannot stand one another.

The fact that they can come together to help each another in time of need really shows how great this rivalry is. Do you honestly think a Buckeye would do the same for a Wolverine?

Obviously a tornado is much more devastating than some lunatic poisoning trees. I am simply pointing out that each school has helped the rival the hate the most, and obviously one event was far more severe than the other. 

Other rivalries may have been around longer or have had epic games year after year, but the Iron Bowl takes the cake.

Back in February I did a slideshow on College Football's Top 25 Greatest Rivalries and even did way-too-early predictions for them. The Iron Bowl was at No. 2, but I'm going on the record now to change my pick.

Al from Dadeville could have really put a damper on the Iron Bowl, but with the way fans have reacted to that and the tornado, I can assure you that November 26, 2011 will be a very emotional and powerful day in the state of Alabama.

It will be the 76th time these two square off, and no other game will have meant as much.