TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Maybe Alabama and Auburn had something else on their minds entering the Iron Bowl warmup acts, like each other.
It took both teams some time to get going against FCS teams on Saturday. Now, the second-ranked Crimson Tide and 15th-ranked Tigers can turn their focus exclusively to the rivalry – already a hot topic year-round among fans in the state.
“It’s the biggest college rivalry in history, so of course you’re going to want to have fun and do the things you’ve got to do to prepare for it,” Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland said.
For the sixth straight year, Saturday night’s game at Bryant-Denny Stadium will have national title implications. The winner of the Iron Bowl has won four of the last five BCS championships. Both were in contention for the national title going into the 2013 game, won by Auburn on Chris Davis’s 109-yard return of a missed field goal on the final play.
Now, the Tide (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) is the only Iron Bowl participant left standing. Alabama, which holds the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, can secure a berth for the SEC championship game against either No. 8 Georgia or No. 17 Missouri with a victory.