Overachievers and underachievers

Hang around Auburn folks enough and you'll hear it. Auburn football, they'll tell you, is at its best when the least is expected and at its worst when most is expected.

I decided to spend a little time to see just how true that is or isn't. I looked at every year since 1957 in which Auburn was ranked in either preseason polls or final polls.

Here's what I found out:

Fifteen teams could be labeled overachievers, based on the preseason polls. Sixteen teams could be labeled underachievers. Ten teams did about what was expected of them.

The reality is, based on the numbers, Auburn football teams live up to or exceed expectations more often than they don't.

The top overachievers: 2010 ( No. 22, No 1); 2004 (No. 17, No. 2); 1993 (NR, No. 4); 1972 (NR, No. 5); 1970 (NR, No. 10); 1963 (NR, No. 5); 1957 (No. 15, No. 1).

The top underachievers: 2008 (No. 10, NR); 2003 (No. 6, NR); 1985 (No. 2, NR); 1984 (No. 1, No. 14); 1959 (No. 3, NR).

Following is how Auburn fared in seasons in which it was at the beginning or the end of seasons:

OVERACHIEVERS

Teams that finished ranked at least three spots higher in the final Associated Press poll than in the preseason poll:

1957: No. 15, No. 1

1963: NR, No. 5

1968: NR, No. 16

1970: NR, No. 10

1972: NR, No. 5

1974: NR, No. 8

1982: NR, No. 14

1986: No. 14, No. 6

1993: NR, No. 4

1997: No. 16, No. 11

2000: NR, No. 18

2002: NR, No. 14

2004: No. 17, No. 2

2007: No. 18, No. 15

2010: No. 22, No. 1

UNDERACHIEVERS

Teams that finished at least three spots lower in the final poll than in the preseason poll.

1959: No. 3, NR

1964: No. 8, NR (No. 11)

1971: No. 7, No. 12

1973: No. 12, NR

1975: No. 7, NR

1980: No. 18, NR

1984: No. 1, No. 14

1985: No. 2, NR

1990: No. 3, No. 19

1991: No. 18, NR

1995: No. 6, No. 22

1996: No. 16, No. 24

1998: No. 25, NR

2003: No. 6, NR

2006: No. 4, No. 9

2008: No. 10, NR

AS EXPECTED

Teams that finished within two spots in the final polls of what they were ranked in the preseason poll.

1958: No. 5, No. 4

1960: No. 12, No. 13

1969: No. 20, No. 20

1983: No. 4, No. 3

1987: No. 5, No. 7

1988: No. 7, No. 8

1989: No. 8, No. 6

1994: No. 11, No. 9

2005: No. 16, No. 14

2011: No. 23, NR