Mascot Aubie takes second place in national competition.

Staff report

Alabama is the undisputed national champion in college football — again — but Auburn did find a way to get a leg up on its in-state rival.

During the 2018 national mascot competition held in Orlando on Saturday, Aubie the Tiger finished second. Alabama’s Big Al the elephant? A no-show among the event’s finalists.

The winning mascot in the Universal Cheerleaders Association competition was Goldy Gopher from the University of Minnesota. Third place went to Brutus Buckeye from Ohio State.

Of course, Auburn did beat Alabama in the 2017 season, 26-14, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the Iron Bowl. The Tigers, however, couldn’t seal the deal in the SEC title game against Georgia and the Crimson Tide slid into the College Football Playoff and the rest was history.