There aren't many games in the world quite like the Iron Bowl. Whether one or both of these teams are involved in the National Championship race in November or not, this game is still one of the most hotly anticipated of the season. The SEC West title very well could be on the line in Tuscaloosa this year, and generally speaking, the team which wins this division will ultimately be one game away from the College Football Playoff.
Don't miss the action from Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday, November 26, 2016.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Auburn Tigers +15
Alabama Crimson Tide -15
Odds Analysis
History suggests that the spreads in this series aren't all that close. The oddsmakers have installed Alabama as 15-point favorites in the Game of the Year Odds, marking the sixth straight season this spread has been at least 9.5-points.
Alabama has won and covered four of the last Iron Bowls, including last year's 29-13 victory at Jordan Hare Stadium to send it to the SEC Championship Game.
Why It's Important
Do we even have to ask this question? It's Auburn/Alabama. Football is life in Alabama, and if you live in that state, you're either an Auburn backer who hates Alabama or an Alabama backer who hates Auburn. There's no in between.
However, if you want to pour more fuel into the fire for the Iron Bowl, the winner of this game has gone on to play for the National Championship either in the BCS Championship Game or the College Football Playoff in each of the last five years.
Why Alabama Will Beat Auburn
Nick Saban doesn't know what it means to rebuild. He only reloads with five-star recruit after five-star recruit. So sure, he sent a ton of talent to the NFL last year, but he does that every single season and seems to be just fine.
Big time wide receivers always seem to have big time games for the Tide in this series. Calvin Ridley went off for 90 yards on six catches last year, and though that doesn't sound like that big of a deal, consider the fact that Jake Coker only threw for 179 yards because Derrick Henry had 271 yards on 46 carries.
Henry is gone, but Ridley is back, and he's sure to have a big game again in this one. Whomever ends up winning the starting quarterback job should be well-entrenched by now, and Lane Kiffin knows that he can exploit an Auburn defense which flat out isn't all that great.
Why Auburn Will Beat Alabama
Jeremy Johnson is a senior now, and it's really time for him to step up in a game like this one. He's incredibly athletic, and another year with Gus Malzahn should really get him going, especially this deep into the season.
If the Tigers are going to end up winning this game, they're going to do it with pace. No one likes to run his offense faster in the nation than Malzahn, and Alabama has had a history of being stuck sucking wind at the ends of big games like this one. Of course, the Tigers have to stay in it to make that fast-paced offense effect, and that in and of itself is going to be a big challenge.
The X-Factor
It's going to be all about the success of the Alabama running game. If the Crimson Tide can pound the ball down Auburn's throat as was the case last year, everything else will open up dramatically. Bo Scarbrough is another one of these big, bruising tailbacks which Saban loves to have on his roster, and he's got three really great offensive linemen returning to his team with NFL talent.
That said, the whole Auburn defensive line is back from last year, and Montravius Adams and Carl Lawson are going to be vitally important. The Tigers allowed 182.7 rushing yards per game last year. If the Tide get beyond that number, they'll roll and probably cover.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
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