When the clock strikes midnight on Saturday night, it’ll mark the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. There were highlights and lowlights for every team in the SEC, and our local schools are no exception. Let’s revisit some of the moments that will mark the calendar year of 2022 for both schools.
Alabama:
It was an interesting year for Alabama in a lot of ways. They ended 2021 with a great performance in the Cotton Bowl against Cincinnati but began 2022 with a painful loss to Georgia in the National Championship. Obviously, this football season did not go as planned either, with a 10-2 regular season placing them in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State and likely ending the Alabama career of Bryce Young without a ring as a starter. The Tide will hope 2023 bears more fruit for them on the gridiron.
On the hardwood, it has been a rollercoaster for Alabama since the start of 2022. While the Tide got their season off to a great start with some huge non-conference wins, the wheels came off towards the end of the campaign and a once promising season came to a screeching halt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They have gotten off to another great start this season and hope to carry the momentum into the new year.
On the diamond, Alabama showed some flashes but ultimately failed to qualify for the postseason despite some impressive series wins over opponents such as eventual national champion Ole Miss, top five ranked Arkansas, and Texas A&M, who went to the semi-finals of the College World Series. Alabama Baseball went 31-27 on the year.
Alabama also had a historic season on the soccer field, with the women’s team going all the way to the College Cup (soccer’s version of the Final Four) in by far the best season in program history. They were defeated 3-0 by eventual the national champions, UCLA, in the semi-finals.
Auburn:
It was a turbulent year for the Auburn football program, to say the least. The offseason was marked by an attempted coup of Bryan Harsin that ultimately failed and led to one of the more disastrous seasons for the Tigers in recent memory. They moved on from Harsin at the end of October and watching Carnell “Cadillac” Williams lead the team was extremely exciting for Tiger fans. At the end of the season, it was announced that Hugh Freeze would be their next coach and Williams would remain on the staff. Freeze has already done a phenomenal job recruiting and Auburn fans should be hopeful heading into 2023.
After one of the best regular seasons in program history with one of, if not, their most talented teams ever, Auburn’s basketball season also came to a disappointing conclusion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are off to a solid start with a very different roster and will look to compete again in the SEC in 2023.
Auburn qualified for the College World Series in Omaha for just the sixth time in program history. Ultimately they fell to Arkansas, but it was a spectacular year for Butch Thompson’s bunch who definitely achieved more than they were expected to. The Tigers went 43-22 on the year.
Another year in the books in the Yellowhammer State! Thank you for listening to WNSP and we wish you all a healthy and happy New Year and can’t wait to talk to you again in 2023!
