College basketball rankings: Would Alabama take over No. 1 if Tide beat Auburn?

The stakes are high every time Alabama meets Auburn, in just about any sport. But the stakes for this particular edition of the Iron Bowl on Saturday afternoon almost literally could not be higher. Auburn enters at No. 1, the spot they've occupied for the majority of this season. Alabama enters at No. 2, making this the first regular-season matchup between the top two teams in the AP Top 25 in nearly a full decade.

The No. 1 ranking is on the line. The No. 1 spot in the No. 1 conference in the country is on the line. The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament could be on the line. And you know that bragging rights are on the line. What will this game mean for the winner? Let's break it down.

No. 1 ranking, top overall seed potentially at stake for Alabama vs. Auburn

Alabama hasn't occupied the top spot in the AP poll since March of 2023, when the No. 1-seeded Tide fell to No. 5 seed San Diego State in the Sweet Sixteen. Could they get back to the top of the mountain with a win over their rival on Saturday?

Signs point to yes. A win would move Nate Oats' team to 22-3 overall, and a stellar 11-1 in the rugged SEC. They'd clear leapfrog Auburn in next week's poll, and the only other teams with three or fewer losses are the two teams currently in a tie for the No. 3 spot: Duke and Florida.

Assuming the Blue Devils take care of business against Stanford on Saturday, they'd have a compelling case; they're already one of only two teams to have beaten Auburn so far this season. But the ACC simply hasn't offered as many opportunities for statement wins, and losses to Kentucky (a team that Alabama has a win over) and Kansas don't look quite as imposing as they once did. Given the gap in Quad 1 wins between the two (nine for Bama with a win over Auburn compared to just five for Duke) you'd have to give the edge to the Tide.

That leaves only Florida with a shot, and while the two teams haven't played yet this season, again Alabama's resume should give it an edge. A win over Auburn would leave the Tide at 9-3 in Quad 1 games, 15-3 between Quads 1 and 2. Florida, on the other hand, is just 5-3 against Quad 1 teams, 12-3 against Quads 1 and 2. Alabama has simply racked up more impressive wins than almost anyone in the country to this point, a list that would only grow with the addition of the Tigers on Saturday.

And that would put them in great position to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament next month. Granted, there's still a long way to go, with a rematch against Auburn and games against Missouri, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky left in the regular season — plus the SEC Tournament in Nashville. But it's hard to imagine a non-SEC team claiming the top spot in the bracket, and Alabama would have the strongest claim of all with a win on Saturday.