It’s no secret that the Auburn Tigers’ biggest rival is Alabama. The deep-rooted animosity between the two schools is a year-round affair, fueled by a state with no major professional sports teams to distract from the heated competition. Auburn vs. Alabama is a rivalry that consumes the fanbase 365 days a year.
However, Auburn’s proximity to Georgia—sitting just about 30 miles west of the Alabama-Georgia state line—has created another intense rivalry. Many Auburn students and alumni come from Georgia, and with that level of familiarity comes an extra edge of competitive fire. For a significant portion of the Auburn family, the Georgia Bulldogs, not Alabama, represent their most personal and meaningful rivalry.
Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl recognizes and embraces this dynamic. While Georgia has struggled in SEC play this season with a 4-10 conference record, Pearl understands that beating the Bulldogs carries significance for Auburn fans, regardless of their opponent’s standing. Auburn’s recent struggles against Georgia in football—where Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have dominated, winning 11 of the last 12 matchups—have only intensified Auburn’s desire to maintain its upper hand in basketball.
Following Auburn’s hard-fought 82-70 victory over Georgia on Saturday, Pearl acknowledged the importance of the win and how much it meant to both the program and the fanbase.
“Beating Georgia matters to Auburn. It matters to me,” Pearl said postgame. “I believe that’s 13 out of the last 16, and that’s a pretty good stretch against one of your rivals.”**
Pearl’s personal history with Georgia extends beyond Auburn. As the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers—another one of Georgia’s primary rivals—he has had his fair share of battles with the Bulldogs. While he takes pride in continuing Auburn’s dominance over Georgia on the hardwood, Pearl also expressed his respect for Georgia’s program and its head coach, Mike White.
It’s just about survival, right? That’s just what it’s really about,”** Pearl explained. The league is so good and so competitive. And to see Georgia come in here and play so hard, they had a great, great, great game plan.”
Pearl credited White and the Bulldogs for making things difficult for Auburn. Georgia implemented a defensive scheme—a mix of a 3-2 zone and a 1-2-2 zone—that they had rarely used this season. Pearl admitted that this adjustment caught Auburn off guard initially, forcing his team to adapt mid-game.
**”I told Coach (Mike) White I thought that was a great call because it caught us off guard,”** Pearl said. **”We managed to find a few things we could do, that was good.”**
Although the final scoreboard showed a comfortable 12-point win for Auburn, the game was highly competitive. The first half was a defensive battle, with Auburn leading by just five points, 29-24, at halftime. Even in the final minutes, Georgia remained within striking distance, trailing by just five points with under two minutes left in the game before Auburn pulled away.
With the victory, Auburn took another step toward securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. While the Tigers have bigger challenges ahead, including matchups against ranked opponents, Pearl made it clear that beating Georgia is always a priority.
For Auburn basketball, maintaining superiority over the Bulldogs isn’t just about another win—it’s about pride, rivalry, and the continued pursuit of excellence.
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