Do the Tigers have a prayer against their in-state rivals?
Auburn’s season has been a disappointment. The Tigers began 2018 as a top 10 team and started the year by beating a very good Washington team.
Then came the losses. Against LSU (reasonable). Against Mississippi State (huh.). Against Tennessee (oh no). Against Georgia (reasonable, but also Auburn’s last chance to prove its top 25 bonafides). But Gus Malzahn can still salvage the season with one monster win during rivalry week.
The Iron Bowl will pit the Tigers against top-ranked Alabama in one of college football’s fiercest rivalries. As optimistic as Malzahn may be, oddsmakers aren’t confident the animosity in Bryant-Denny Stadium will translate to a competitive game on the field. The Crimson Tide, led by Heisman Trophy frontrunner Tua Tagovailoa, opened the week as a 24-point favorite.
Auburn vs. Alabama prediction:
The S&P+ ratings unsurprisingly name ‘Bama the nation’s top team. Auburn clocks in at No. 15 despite four losses and a record that includes a win over Washington and zero other top 25 teams. That suggests the Tigers have a fighting chance Saturday ... but have you seen Alabama this year? Tide by 30.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: SEC on CBS, fuboTV
- Odds: Alabama is favored by 24.5 points.
Alabama vs. Auburn news:
- There’s a Les Miserables themed preview for the Iron Bowl, so why are you even here?
[Gus]
One game more!
Another game, another test for me
This over-blown but important rivalry
So many want to end my time
But I think the offense will be fine
One game more
[Crow]
I don’t care about this game
How can I when hoops has started?
- No, seriously, someone Andrew Lloyd Webber’ed a game with a 24-point spread. That’s it. that’s the best thing you’re gonna get out of this.
- GO READ THAT 1980s MUSICAL SENSATION TURNED SEC RIVALRY PARODY
- Fine. Here’s something on Tua Tagovailoa, you tyrants.
Can Auburn do anything to derail Tagovailoa’s Heisman campaign?
Tagovailoa is on pace to be the least-used Heisman winner in modern NCAA history thanks to Alabama’s litany of blowouts this fall — the Tide’s closest game this season was a 22-point win over Texas A&M. While he’s a near-lock to win the award, Auburn can still spoil his season by bullying him into the mistakes that have cropped up more and more often as the year’s worn on.
LSU limited him to seven yards per pass (five lower than his insane season average) and forced him into his first interception of the year three games ago. One week later, Mississippi State limited him to just 140 total yards and another turnover. Some very fine, almost imperceptible cracks are beginning to kinda-sorta show on his statuesque season. Can the Tigers be the team that exposes an honest-to-goodness flaw in his game?