With fewer fans, no Saban, Iron Bowl has different vibe

It was never going to be the typical Iron Bowl atmosphere, not with a mere 20,000 or so watching in person.

Making it seem even more surreal: Alabama Coach Nick Saban won’t be among those in the stadium.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide (7-0) host No. 22 Auburn (5-2) today in a season comprised of all SEC games with one postponement apiece. This year’s Iron Bowl also won’t be the usual regular-season finale for the teams.

Saban, who tested positive Wednesday for covid-19, will be watching from home and barred from communicating with his team during the game or at halftime. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkasian will handle that, minus the famous Saban scowl.

“The Auburn game is obviously our most important game, and we hate it that this situation occurred,” Saban said. “But as I’ve said many times before, they’ve got to be able to deal with disruptions this year, and our players have been pretty mature about doing that.

“We just want to carry on the best we can.”

The Tigers enter as nearly 25-point underdogs in a rivalry game intense enough that

Coach Gus Malzahn says, “I think about it 365 days a year.”

“This isn’t a normal game,” Malzahn said. “This is the Iron Bowl.”

The Tide’s six-time national champion coach won’t be on the sidelines, but Alabama still has its typical stockpile of talent and a potent offense led by quarterback Mac Jones, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and tailback Najee Harris.

Saban said the biggest thing he’ll miss about leading the team during the game “is being with our players.” But he’ll have a better view than most of those watching from home.

“We can actually pipe the game in,” Saban said. “You can’t see much on TV, so I’ll have the same film that we take of the game, which is the film that we watch on Sunday, so I’ll be able to see a little bit more of what’s happening.”

Jones is considered one of the leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy after some costly mistakes in last year’s 48-45 Auburn win. Auburn returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Jones last year.

“It’s a rivalry, so of course, like, you know, we’re like, ‘Oh, we won last year,’ ” Tigers safety Jamien Sherwood said. “But he’s also looking for redemption as well. He came in last year, and we got the upper hand on him. He’s looking to get us back.”

Auburn is 22-1 under Malzahn when scoring on defense or special teams. No team has more non-offensive touchdowns than Alabama’s 78 since the arrival of Saban in 2007.

“They’re very impactful,” Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain said. “It can change the momentum of the game, defensive scores, and it builds confidence in the defense. And also, going into the game, you’ve got to have plays like that in highly-anticipated games.”