The 1983 Tigers , coached by Pat Dye, finished the season with an 11–1 record and won their first Southeastern Conference (SEC) title since 1957.
In one of the most controversial final season polls, #1 Nebraska lost their final game, #2 Texas lost their final game, #3 Auburn won their final game but #5 Miami was named the #1 team in the country.Auburn had played the toughest schedule in the nation, including nine bowl teams, eight of which were ranked in the top 20 (five in the top ten), and two teams Auburn faced would compete against each other in the 1983 Florida Citrus Bowl (Tennessee won the game against Maryland 30–23).
