The Iron Bowl will see another installment on Saturday as the Auburn Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in SEC College Football action. The game is scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have the Crimson Tide favored to pick up the win in this one.
Everyone saw what happened last season in this rivalry matchup that caused all kinds of shockwaves throughout the sports world. Don't expect it to happen again. This Alabama team lost earlier this year to Ole Miss but they've rebounded to pile up six straight wins. The Crimson Tide will play in the SEC title game next week with a victory here and look for them to play off of their revenge from last year's loss in this Iron Bowl.
This long and historic rivalry has seen both schools have pretty good runs the last decade or so. Auburn won six in a row from 2002-07 before Alabama claimed four of the next five battles prior to last year's contest. Alabama did not play well defensively in that game and obviously lost in the craziest ending to a game in the history of college football. Now it's Alabama's time to get it straightened out because right now is the only thing that matters to Nick Saban and the Tide.
Each team got a layup win last week as the SEC took some time off from conference play. The Tide beat up on Western Carolina while Auburn claimed a big win over Samford in a game they struggled in early on. But both teams are now focused and ready to go, but which team will execute enough to claim the win? Alabama has looked like the best team in the country nearly the entire season. Blake Sims is playing the quarterback position well and the backfield should be able to run the ball against Auburn. Both T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry average better than five yards per carry and have accounted for 13 touchdowns.
Oh year, Amari Cooper is the best receiver in the country as well, catching 11 touchdowns and 90 passes so far for an average of 15 yards per carry (1,349 yards on the season). Alabama is primed for a big game at home.
Auburn will have to counter with Nick Marshall finding a way to move the football any way they can. The Tigers are a very good team at running the football and Marshall is a good reason for that, accounting for 26 touchdowns and better than 2,500 yards of total offense. Cameron Artis-Payne also runs the rock well, totaling 1,405 yards on the ground and running better than 5.5 yards per carry. Alabama, though, won't let the Tigers run the football effectively in this one.
Look for the Crimson Tide to exact some revenge in this one. They are in line to be the top overall team in the playoffs and they're going to get it done in this one.
Free Pick: Alabama 35, Auburn 20
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