Alabama sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts can look around Tuscaloosa and spot thousands of people who live and die by the Iron Bowl a lot more than he does.
Having grown up in Texas, he’s not consumed by the in-state rivalry, which he admits isn’t a bad thing heading into Saturday’s showdown between the No. 1 Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0 SEC) and No. 6 Auburn (9-2, 6-1) inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“I don’t think it’s an advantage, but I don’t think it’s a disadvantage,” Hurts said Monday in a news conference.
Hurts completed 27 of 36 passes for 286 yards in his first Iron Bowl, guiding the Crimson Tide to a 30-12 triumph in Bryant-Denny Stadium. His counterpart, former Tigers quarterback Jeremy Johnson, completed just 4 of 13 attempts for 34 yards.
This year’s version could pose quite a quarterback showcase, as Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham is having as impressive a season as Hurts, the reigning Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year. A redshirt sophomore who began his career at Baylor University, the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Stidham has completed 181 of 267 passes (67.8 percent) for 2,445 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.