AUBURN, Ala. - Another installment of college football’s greatest rivalry will kick off on Saturday. Auburn vs Alabama. The Iron Bowl. One of the most historic and unpredictable rivalries will add its 88th chapter in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The two teams are coming in off of drastically different weeks. Alabama had Chattanooga and handily took care of business, winning 66-10 against the inferior FCS squad.
Auburn, however, would be throttled at home by New Mexico State, a team they were favored to beat by 25 points. Before the loss that head coach Hugh Freeze referred to as “an embarrassment,” the Tigers were riding high off of a three game league win streak, with wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas.
So how does Auburn regroup after such a loss to face one of the hottest teams in college football?
“They have a choice, everybody has a choice in how you respond to whatever you’re dealing with, and we’ll all have that choice this week,” said Freeze. “You sure hope that if they have any type of competitive spirit in them as an individual, they’re going to shake off the cobwebs and get ready for this war that they’re getting ready to go into.”
The return of Auburn’s offensive semblance will have to start with the ground game. During their successful streak of SEC games, the Tigers averaged over 256 rushing yards per game. The success of the run also freed up quarterback Payton Thorne to put in arguably his three best passing performances this season.
Running the ball successfully is easier said than done against the Crimson Tide and their huge defensive front. “It’s hard. No one is running too much on that defensive front. We’ll have a good plan,” said Freeze. “It will be no fun if you’re having to drop back and throw every down, that won’t work.”
Another factor that makes Alabama a matchup nightmare is their quarterback, Jalen Milroe. After being benched early in the season after a loss to Texas, Milroe has since been hitting his stride. Milroe’s threat lies in almost every aspect conceivable. Auburn will have to respect the deep ball, but also the quarterback run and his scrambling ability.
“You have to hope that you do limit those explosive plays somewhat. Stopping him, no one has really done that,” said Freeze. “We got to mix up the coverages and mix up the plan. Figure out if we can get pressure to him or not.”
Auburn has faced a QB like Milroe before in the likes of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Tigers did not fare well against Daniels, but the defense will have a chance at redemption in a game that certainly means a little bit more to the Auburn faithful.
While the odds may not be in Auburn’s favor, the electric Jordan-Hare atmosphere certainly is. There is something about playing in Jordan-Hare that seems to make all the pregame odds and lines disappear. Take the 2021 Iron Bowl for example. Alabama entered as 20.5 point favorites, and Auburn, led by backup quarterback TJ Finley, led for the majority of the game and took the mighty Crimson Tide to four overtimes in an instant classic.
“I think it speaks to the history and the people that have gone before us – fans and coaches and players who understood what this rivalry meant to so many and they were willing to lay it on the line,” said Freeze. “It just speaks to the love and passion that our people have for our program, particularly when you're playing in this game.”
It’s safe to say that anything can happen when the Tigers and Tide meet in the Iron Bowl. Auburn has certainly had their share of magical moments in this historic game. The Kick Six, Bo Over the Top, The Camback. What might the 88th meeting have in store? Find out Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
