Auburn aims for repeat upset of Tide
Next man up: On Sunday night, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said that freshman running back Tank Bigsby was questionable for Saturday’s game at Alabama. He suffered what’s been described as a lower-body injury in the win against Tennessee last Saturday, exiting the game after just three carries. Offensive tackles Alec Jackson and Brodarious Hamm also suffered injuries and carry the same designation as Bigsby. D.J. Williams and Shaun Shivers each rushed for 66 yards in Bigsby’s absence, but the Tigers will need their bell- cow to be effective against the Crimson Tide.
Balance: Who knows what it takes to slow Alabama down this season? No team has been able to limit the Crimson Tide’s prolific offense, which hasn’t had any trouble putting up 35-plus points in each game this season. Mac Jones and Najee Harris are both Heisman Trophy candidates, and DeVonta Smith will likely be the first wide receiver taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. Auburn’s defense can’t afford to focus solely on eliminating Harris, because Alabama will beat it over the top, and vise versa. A continuation of the pass rush from the Tennessee game, in which the Tigers notched three sacks, would certainly help.
Keys for Alabama
Pound the Rock: The aforementioned Harris could have a field day against this Auburn front seven. The Tigers are coming off of a game in which they allowed 250 rushing yards, including 173 yards and one touchdown to Tennessee running back Eric Gray. While Harris likely won’t replicate his 206yard, five touchdown performance against Ole Miss a few weeks back, but the Crimson Tide should feed him early and often.
Guard the pass: If Bigsby is out, Auburn is likely to rely heavily upon Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams, a talented tandem of wide receivers. Alabama’s pass defense has been its most identifiable weakness this season, allowing more than 240 yards through the air to opponents, so the Tigers likely have that circled in their game plan. The Alabama needs to be ready for Schwartz and Williams, lest this becomes a repeat of the Ole Miss shootout.
Score prediction
Alabama 42, Auburn 20: While the Iron Bowl has been a great source of entertainment in recent years, 2020’s edition will veer from that path. No team has come close to touching Alabama, and that trend should continue against a potentially undermanned Auburn team.