The Iron Bowl

Auburn (5-6) at Alabama (11-0), 3:30 EST CBS

Why to watch: In Alabama, everyone talks about this game for 365 days out of the year. Think that’s an overstatement? Ask any of the sports talk hosts and this game and/or this rivalry will bring in the callers every day, every show. So while this year’s Iron Bowl really doesn’t matter on a national scale, even if Alabama loses it’ll play for the national title if it beats Florida in the SEC Championship, it’s still huge to Tide fans who’ve had to hear about the six game losing streak in the series for, well, six years. That’s a long, long time when it’s being talked about and brought up day after day after day. But for the recently suffering Tide faithful, this appears to be when everything is changing. Auburn is a mess, with the offensive coordinator issues killing what should’ve been a big year, and a defense that’s doing what it can, but isn’t doing enough over a string of five losses in the last six games. It’s officially freakout time for the Tigers fans. Nick Saban appears to be building a juggernaut, LSU isn’t all that bad, even in a down year, and Arkansas and Ole Miss are improving. Meanwhile, Auburn’s window of opportunity to do anything really, really big, like be in the yearly hunt for the national title, might be slammed shut. However, with one big win over the No. 1 team in the nation, Auburn will be bowl eligible, the momentum won’t have shifted over to Tuscaloosa quite yet, there will be another 365 days of smack talk to be had. So sure, the game might not really mean anything, but it also means everything. (Sorry … the clichés start flowing around rivalry time.)

Why Auburn might win: Alabama might have great special teams, but Auburn’s return game is just good enough to change the momentum at a moment’s notice, or pull away if the Tigers get on an early roll. Kick returner Tristan Davis and punt returner Robert Dunn are special, and they might be the ones who can kickstart an otherwise dead offense at times against the nasty Bama D. For all of Auburn’s issues, the defense has still been tough throughout the year. Alabama might be great, but it doesn’t have Oklahoma’s offense; it’s not going to throw 60 on the board.

Why Alabama might win: The Auburn offense is sort of like the economy. Everyone’s trying everything to get it started, and all the efforts just seem to make things go backwards. It’s not like the attack is suddenly going to find itself this week against a very rested, very motivated defense that’s allowing nothing on the ground, just 256 yards per game overall, and is allowing a mere 12.55 points per game. It’s going to take something special for Auburn to win, so if Alabama can play the Tigers evenly on special teams and in the turnover margin, it should be off to Atlanta with a 12-0 record.

Who to watch: John Parker Wilson could turn out to be the offensive leader for a national title team (really, Bama will play for it all no matter what if it beats Florida), but if the Tide loses this week, he’ll be forever known as the quarterback who lost to Auburn three times. He wasn’t bad in the 2006 loss, throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns before giving away the game-sealing pick, but he struggled in last season’s defeat completing 12-of-26 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. While he’s been good this year, he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in his last four games and hasn’t thrown one in five of his last six outings. Meanwhile, he has rushed for four touchdowns in the last four games, and most importantly, the team keeps on winning.

What will happen: Welcome to Alabama’s cathartic exhale six years in the making. Saban and the Tide won’t be looking to make a statement; they just want the win. However, the defense will keep the Tiger attack from doing much of anything past the first quarter, while the Tide attack will get all the parts working early on. Auburn will hang around for about 40 minutes, and then the last 20 will be all about Bama fans enjoying the long weight being lifted off their program’s back.

CFN Prediction: Alabama 31 … Auburn 16 ... Line: Alabama -14

Must See Rating: (5 Football while eating Thanksgiving food)

SEC Fearless Predictions, Nov. 29