TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - It’s that time of year again, the biggest game of the year, your favorite day of the year, the biggest rivalry in all of sports: The Iron Bowl.
This will be the 89th Iron Bowl and the first one in almost two decades without Nick Saban on the opposing sideline. Kalen DeBoer and company will have a lot on the line in this year’s edition of the in-state rivalry. A win puts the Tide in a great position to make the inaugural 12-team playoff, while a loss will almost certainly exclude them, putting an early stain on his coaching career at Alabama.
Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers aren’t quite fighting for the playoffs this year, but the stakes are quite high for them as well. Currently sitting at 5-6, one more win sends Auburn bowling, and spoiling the Tide’s season always feels pretty good.
Finishing the season with three straight wins, possibly four straight with a bowl win, would end Hugh Freeze’s sophomore season on a high note and give Tiger fans some much-needed hope for the future.
For Auburn to pull off this win, they need to prevent the big plays, create some of their own, and control the trenches.
Alabama has been electric with the ball this year. They are 17th in the country in points per game with 36.6. That offense is led by the dynamic duo of Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams. This season they have connected for 804 yards and eight touchdowns. Ryan Williams is known for his big plays; his average reception goes for 19.5 yards.
As for Auburn, they have a phenom freshman wide receiver of their own in Cam Coleman. Cam Coleman has been absolutely balling this year and was a key contributor in Auburn’s cinematic win over Texas A&M last week when he reeled in seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Opposite him is the SEC's third leading receiver, KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The Penn State transfer has been a beautiful bright spot on the Tigers' roster this season. If Payton Thorne can minimize his mistakes and execute with the veteran and rookie duo, Auburn should be able to compete.
In the trenches, Auburn will need to lean heavily on future NFL running back Jarquez Hunter. This year he has eight touchdowns and 1,145 rushing yards on 6.6 yards per carry.
Alabama has won the matchup 50-37-1 all-time. In recent history, Auburn has struggled to win in Tuscaloosa, their last road win coming in 2010.
The Iron Bowl is slated for a 2:30 p.m. CST kickoff on ABC and the Auburn Sports Network.
