A legendary underdog story comes alive with a new book revisiting Auburn’s stunning 2010 national championship run. It’s been fifteen years since Auburn captured one of the most unexpected titles in college football history, and now a freshly published book dives deep into the unforgettable season that shocked fans and experts alike.
Titled All They Did Was Win: Shootouts, Shockers & Cambacks on the Road to Auburn’s Improbable 2010 National Championship, this book was released Sunday by White Rocket Books. It marks the sixth time authors Van Allen Plexico and John Ringer—also the voices behind the popular AU Wishbone podcast—have explored Auburn’s football and basketball stories.
Much like their previous works, All They Did Was Win combines fresh interviews with archival quotes, all woven together by the authors’ own firsthand storytelling. Both Plexico and Ringer are Auburn alumni and lifelong Tiger supporters, which gives them a uniquely passionate perspective.
In a recent conversation with AL.com, Plexico shared insights on their storytelling approach: “I told John I think we kind of invented this style. It’s funny because sports books usually don’t blend commentary and interviews like this. I was inspired by an oral history of Saturday Night Live—they had a format where the book would narrate for a bit, then the people involved would speak directly. We adapted that for our podcast-turned-book style. It lets us balance objective journalism with our own opinions, which feels like cheating but works really well.”
The narrative of All They Did Was Win actually begins with Auburn's 2004 season, another undefeated campaign where the Tigers went 13-0 and won the SEC title but were controversially left out of the national championship race behind USC and Oklahoma. The book then chronicles the downturn under coach Tommy Tuberville in 2008, followed by the unexpected hire of Gene Chizik—who many initially doubted would succeed.
In 2009, Chizik’s squad posted an 8-5 record and almost defeated Alabama, the eventual national champions, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The turning point came in the offseason with Auburn’s decision to recruit Cam Newton, a junior college transfer who had left Florida amid controversy in 2008.
Supported by defensive star Nick Fairley, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and a strong group of role players, Newton led Auburn from a modest preseason No. 22 ranking to an undefeated 14-0 season capped by a national championship. Newton’s remarkable performance earned him the Heisman Trophy and delivered a series of nail-biting victories that have since become legendary.
Plexico highlighted why the word "improbable" appears in the subtitle: “Auburn wasn’t a favorite by any stretch, and Gene Chizik was practically a joke to the media. Even though 2009’s season showed promise, no one expected what came next. That mix of Chizik, Gus Malzahn, Ted Roof, and Cam Newton—with all his past baggage—plus a cast of players not destined for the NFL, somehow collided perfectly to create magic. They came from behind in most games, won the SEC, the Heisman, and the national title—it was improbable in every way. That’s what makes the story so compelling.”
Beneath the glory, a controversy simmered involving Cam Newton’s recruitment. His father, Cecil Newton, was accused of trying to shop his son to Mississippi State during the recruiting process. Auburn briefly declared Cam Newton ineligible before the SEC championship game but reinstated him after both the school and NCAA found no evidence of improper benefits from Auburn’s staff or boosters. The NCAA closed the investigation in 2011 without uncovering any wrongdoing.
This outcome remains a major sore spot for Alabama fans, who have long refused to accept that Newton was eligible. Auburn’s national title—their first since 1957—challenged the Crimson Tide fanbase’s belief system, leading many to insist cheating must have occurred.
Plexico explained this mindset: “Alabama’s fan base had basically decided that Auburn couldn’t possibly win a national championship. So when they did, it broke their world. They had to convince themselves that Auburn was cheating, that Cam Newton was dirty, or else their whole view of college football fell apart.”
The climax of the book and the season is the iconic Iron Bowl, famously known as the “Camback.” Facing a 21-0 deficit early in the game and trailing 24-7 at halftime, Auburn stormed back to win 28-27 at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. Newton’s late touchdown pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen sealed the comeback with just under 12 minutes left.
That victory remains the only time Auburn defeated legendary coach Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. Coming just a year after Alabama had won the national championship, this win was crucial in preserving Auburn’s perfect season. Notably, the Tigers won six games by a touchdown or less and rallied from halftime deficits in four of those.
Plexico, who also teaches college history and political science and has authored science fiction and fantasy novels, reflected on what makes that Iron Bowl so special: “We initially planned to focus on just the Iron Bowl, but realized its significance lies in how it preserved what the team had built all season. Every part of it felt like a miracle.”
He also defended Gene Chizik’s role: “I truly believe Chizik was the right man at the right time. Would Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, or Nick Saban have gone 14-0 with that roster? I don’t know. But Chizik was the perfect general manager for that particular group of seniors in 2010. Was he suited for later years? That’s a different story. But for that year, he was exactly what Auburn needed.”
For fans interested in owning a copy, Plexico will be signing All They Did Was Win at Auburn Oil Booksellers this Saturday—the same day Auburn faces Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
And here’s the controversy that still sparks debate: Was Auburn’s title truly pure, or did the circumstances surrounding Newton’s eligibility taint their achievements? What do you think? Does this story stand as an inspiring underdog triumph, or is there more beneath the surface? Share your thoughts and let the conversation begin.
