The 3^rd ranked Auburn Tigers of coach Pat Dye at 10-1 battled the 8^th ranked, 9-2 Michigan Wolverines of coach Bo Schembechler.  Michigan had held The Belt earlier in the season & hoped to reclaim it in the Sugar Bowl.  Auburn completed only 2 passes for 21 yards but their 301 yards rushing were enough to get a 9-7 victory over the Wolverines.  Michigan's QB Steve Smith gave the Wolverines the lead 7-0 with a 4-yard touchdown run midway through the 1^st quarter before both defenses took over.  Auburn used All-American RB Bo Jackson, RB Lionel James, & RB Tommie Agee to control the clock.  Tigers' PK Al Del Greco kicked 2 field goals in the 2^nd half as Auburn closed to within a point at 7-6.  With 7:48 to play, the Wolverines punted giving the Tigers the ball at their own 39-yard line.  Fifteen rushing plays & 7:21 later, Auburn stood at the Michigan 1-yard line with 0:27 left on the clock.  During the drive Jackson had a critical conversion on 4^th & 2 to keep the drive alive.  Del Greco connected on his third & final field goal of the day, this one a 19-yarder, to give the Tigers a victory.  Smith, in-spite of a jammed finger on his throwing hand, completed a 22-yard pass to WR Vince Bean & a 38-yard pass to WR Triando Markey to the Auburn 25-yard line as time expired.  Markey nearly broke away from the final tackle but step out of bounds as time expired ending any hopes of a final field goal attempt.  Tigers' QB Randy Campbell threw for just 21 yards & an interception as he completed just 2 of 6 pass attempts while Jackson finished with 130 yards rushing to lead Auburn.  Smith finished with 125 yards passing with an interception for Michigan in the loss.  Auburn finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions, ranked 3^rd nationally while the Wolverines finished 9-3 & ranked 8^th nationally.  Michigan would play for The Belt again in 1984.