![Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2b11e53c7fa2d6247b9e13780a377b7a018fd24d08aa57ed8bb8daffc9718fec.jpg "Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]")
Nick Saban won’t be in the stadium for the 2020 Iron Bowl. Will that help the Auburn Tigers upset the Alabama Crimson Tide?
In the midst of a chaotic college football season, it appeared as if the Alabama Crimson Tide would be able to roll right through every single opponent on its schedule this season without any issue. Theoretically, that’s still possible, but the Iron Bowl is certainly going to be an interesting contest this weekend as Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been sidelined due to COVID-19.
On paper, even without Saban, Alabama is still a better team than Auburn. That doesn’t mean the Tigers are a bad team, they’re not bad by any stretch of the imagination. But, well, this is Alabama we’re talking about, and Alabama is as close to perfect as college football teams tend to get.
The Crimson Tide’s quarterback, Mac Jones, has been stellar all season. As a result, Alabama’s offense is averaging just under 50 points a game and is gaining 548.6 yards per game. Bama’s defense is remarkable too, giving up just 19.3 points per game.
On the other sideline sits Auburn, who has struggled to be consistent this year. The Tigers are scoring just 28.6 points per game as opponents have averaged 22 points per game. That, combined with the fact that the last time Auburn won in Tuscaloosa came back in 2010, doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the Tigers’ chances of winning this Iron Bowl.
How to watch and bet on Alabama vs. Auburn
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 28
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
- Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- Betting Odds: Alabama -24.5, O/U: 62.5
- TV Info: CBS
- Live Stream: SEC on CBS
This is a game that Alabama should win, and it should win big. Even without Saban at the helm for this game, the Crimson Tide are a significantly better team statistically. It seems unlikely that this would change for just one week. All of that said, don’t expect the Crimson Tide to cover this one. Rivalry games can get weird and it seems like there’s always a good chance that Auburn can find a way to make this game a weird one.
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