Football 🏈 Staff predictions: Our picks for No. 13 Alabama vs. Auburn

[Tony_Tsoukalas]

Alabama’s roller-coaster season took another dip last weekend with its loss at Oklahoma. However, the ride isn’t completely over for Kalen DeBoer in his first season in charge of the Crimson Tide.

No. 13 Alabama (8-2, 4-3 in the SEC) will need some chaos to fall its way this weekend but still has an outside shot of reaching the twelve-team College Football Playoff. Of course, the first step in that will be winning the Iron Bowl against an Auburn (5-6, 2-5) team looking to reach bowl eligibility.

DeBoer is looking to record a win in his Iron Bowl debut — a feat Nick Saban and Paul “Bear” Bryant failed to accomplish. In total, first-year Alabama coaches are 5-11 in the Iron Bowl with Dennis Franchoine the last to win in 2001.

Alabama is 50-37-1 against Auburn all-time and has won the last four Iron Bowls, its longest streak over the Tigers since Bryant’s nine-year run from 1973-81. The Crimson Tide is currently a 10.5-point favorite heading into Saturday’s matchup at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Here’s how Tide Illustrated’s staff thinks the game will play out.

Alabama 17, Auburn 13​

This Alabama team is impossible to handicap every week. One of the other most difficult teams to predict is Auburn. This is the Iron Bowl so all bets are off. The Tigers are playing well and the Tide have been good at home playing in BDS. Auburn has a top 20 run defense and that is a bad recipe for Bama. Jalen Milroe isn’t playing his best ball either. I’ll take the Tide 17-13 on an ugly win.

— Kelly Quinlan, publisher

Alabama 24, Auburn 16​

Auburn is a better version of the Oklahoma team that blew out Alabama last week. The Tigers have all the components to give the Tide trouble — a mobile quarterback, an elite running game, capable big-play threats at receiver and a strong defensive front.

If this game was in Jordan-Hare, I’d pick the upset. However, Kalen DeBoer has yet to lose inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, and he needs a win today to save his debut season with the Tide. I’m taking Alabama in a close, ugly Iron Bowl that will have Tide fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

— Tony Tsoukalas, managing editor

Alabama 28, Auburn 21​

Alabama fans should be thankful this game isn’t being played at Jordan-Hare Stadium where the potential chaos seems inevitable. Auburn is as good if not better than Oklahoma in the same areas. Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter is the RB Alabama has faced since Dylan Sampson and the Tide have struggled defending the run. Given the momentum of these two teams, I think it will be a nail-biter, but I like the Tide to do just enough on both ends. Jalen Milroe limits his mistakes, Alabama plays a more balanced game and pressures Auburn QB Payton Thorne just enough to come away with the victory.

— Jack Knowlton, staff writer

Alabama 31, Auburn 21​

I like Alabama to outlast Auburn in the Iron Bowl holding a lead over the Tigers for the majority of the game. A lot of my prediction comes down to vibes, and even after a brutal 24-3 loss against Oklahoma, Bryant-Denny will be rocking for the heated in-state rivalry with a lot of Alabama’s leaders being honored on senior day.

Auburn will likely look to follow the plan that worked so well for Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, and the Tigers have the horses to do it. Jarquez Hunter has been extremely explosive for this season and played a key role in Auburn’s upset last week over Texas A&M. I’m most excited to see the wide receiver duel between Cam Coleman for Auburn and Alabama’s Ryan Williams. The two are the top freshman receivers in the SEC this season, and if both stick with their current schools, they will have an exciting robbery as players over the next few years.

Overall, this should be a fun game with lots of emotion, but give me the Tide.

— Henry Sklar, staff writer

Alabama 27, Auburn 17​

The Iron Bowl always means something, but this year it seems like this is one of the least important matchups of the past 15 years.
Offensively, Alabama can’t do worse than what it did against Oklahoma. The Tide has to get back to its bread and butter of running the ball and pushing the ball downfield. I think you’ll see a more energized team on Saturday.

Defensively, look for Auburn to run a similar scheme that OU ran. Peyton Thorne is a capable guy to run the ball, so I don’t expect they’ll put him in a lot of high-risk situations. However, Thorne will be someone who will turn it over.

— Jordan Harper, basketball analyst