For the 90th time since 1893, the Tigers and Tide will take to the gridiron to settle a debate. No, they’re not trying to figure out which fanbase has more teeth, or how many know the square root of 64 (it’s eight, bammers). Those answers have been determined for decades. They’re on the field to figure out who gets to talk trash for the next 365 days.
Ok, let’s be a tad more real. Auburn is playing to get in a bowl game. Alabama is playing to get in the SEC Championship Game, and likely the College Football Playoff, despite already having two losses, one of those by two touchdowns to a team with a 5-6 record.
So that means that Auburn is playing for one more thing: making sure none of that happens. The uppityness of Alabama fans will pretend that’s sad. What’s sad is having two losses and pretending you need to be in a postseason tournament to determine the best team in the nation. And let’s be honest: if they lose to Auburn to make three losses on the season, they’ll still likely argue that they deserve a shot.
Auburn has the home field advantage, the night game atmosphere, and less pressure. Sure, getting a bowl game would be fine, but given we’ll most likely be in a middle of a coaching regime change, the bowl will be nothing more than another chance to see the Tigers play.
In actuality, Auburn is playing to beat Alabama.
Again, the uppityness of Alabama fans will pretend that’s sad. But it’s literally the reason you play football games. It’s the reason rivalries exist. Sure, you’re generally playing for championships. But seasons are what they are. And when you have the greatest rivalry in sports, beating the rival is the thing. Anybody that tells you otherwise is compensating for some childhood shortcomings or adulthood mistakes.
This Alabama team is a shortcoming in and of itself. They can’t run the ball. They can’t stop people from running. Their quarterback is mid-tier despite getting the Bama bump that the media still gives because Nick Saban was their coach two years ago.
For various reasons not solely related to the removal Hugh Freeze, the Auburn offense has found a way to score some points. Alabama’s defense will be better than Vanderbilt and Mercer’s, so we’ll have to see if they’ve really found their way, but things have seemed a little more promising.
The Auburn defense’s main issue all season has been pass defense. Passing offense is the Alabama offense’s lone positive. This is where being at home at night in front of the fans that have stuck through three home wins and a coaching change comes in.
Let’s get this out of the way: Jordan-Hare is not haunted. That takes away from the players that have made the plays that won Auburn big games in the past. The home field advantage is just part of it. It’s not the flex we (Auburn’s marketing team) want it to be. Moving on…
Ashton Daniels will be back at quarterback, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight on the field at some point. Why not? What does Auburn have to lose? A Birmingham Bowl in the midst of a coaching change? Go all out.
Keldric Faulk and the seniors will be playing their last game at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night. Some of them have experienced two of the dumber home close losses in Iron Bowl history. It’s time for them to get one. They deserve it.
They will.
Daniels will run through, over, and around the Tide defense. Jeremiah Cobb will do the same. The Auburn defense will have two picks. Alex McPherson will make a kick late to put the game out of reach. Alabama goes to the Outback Bowl while Kalen DeBoer goes to Penn State.
Auburn 30, Alabama 21
