Mac Jones can etch his name in Iron Bowl history with win

As Alabama attempts to get back into the College Football Playoff picture without Tua Tagovailoa, backup quarterback Mac Jones can make his name known with an Iron Bowl win.

When Tua Tagovailoa went down with an injury against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, it spelled trouble for Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes. It also meant that the Crimson Tide would be shorthanded against bitter rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Now, without Tagovailoa, the Tide turns to Mac Jones to take on the Tigers.

Should the backup quarterback find a way to beat Auburn, he’ll be regarded as a hero in one of the bitterest and most storied rivalries in college football.

It is fair to say that this is, without a doubt, the biggest and potentially most intimidating game of Jones’ young career. Just a sophomore, Jones has taken snaps in just 13 games and made his first start against Arkansas earlier this season. When the Crimson Tide travel to Auburn for the Iron Bowl, Jones will be greeted by over 87,000 fans amped up for a heated rivalry game.

That’s a big difference from facing a deflated Arkansas team in the friendly-to-the-Crimson-Tide confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

But, in limited playing time and a couple of starts, Jones has looked good here and there. He’s completing 71.4 percent of his passes (he’s only attempted 77 passes), has thrown for 7 touchdowns to 1 interception, and is averaging 12.2 adjusted passing yards per attempt, according to sports-reference.com.

While those are certainly respectable stats, it’s worth keeping in mind that it’s a small sample size and Jones is about to face a rigid defense.

The Tigers allow a little over 300 yards per game and are a decent team at getting after opposing quarterbacks. Marlon Davidson anchors Auburn’s defensive line and has 6.5 sacks on the season. Jones will need to keep that in mind as he gets ready for the Tigers.

On top of that, Jones also has to work against history that has nothing to do with him. Jones must find a way to help Saban break a trend that has bitten him at times throughout his Alabama coaching career.

While Nick Saban has processed most of his foes during his time in Tuscaloosa, Auburn has proven to be an occasional thorn in his side when few other teams have been able to even provide a challenge for the Tide.

Auburn has only beaten Saban four times since he was hired prior to the 2007 season, but a ranked Auburn team is something of a weakness for Saban. All four of Alabama’s losses to Auburn since 2007 have happened against ranked Tigers teams (2007, 2010, 2013, and 2017). And a ranked Auburn team in Jordan-Hare Stadium could be a further problem for the Tide. The only one of those losses to happen in Tuscaloosa was in 2010 and that took Cam Newton guiding the Tigers for Auburn to defeat Alabama in Bryant-Denny. The other three losses happened on the Plains.

Will this be the year that Saban finds a way to break through a beat a ranked Auburn team in its own stadium?

If it is, it’ll be because Jones can thrive and lead Alabama’s offense successfully playing in a hostile environment as part of a venomous rivalry game. And should that happen, then Jones won’t be forgotten any time soon in this historic rivalry game that clings to great moments and heroic players.

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