Alabama Football: Post-Spring game-by-game predictions for 2019

While the trek to Texas A&M in October might be the toughest game on the schedule, there isn’t a game that strikes fear into the hearts of Alabama fans like playing Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. There’s just something in the water down there, particularly when the Tigers are good, that make it a near-impossible venue to escape with a win.

Save for 2011 when Alabama rolled to a 42-14 win, every game down there has been grind for the Crimson Tide in the Saban era. Discounting that game, here’s the average score of Iron Bowls played at Auburn since 2007:

Alabama: 21.4
Auburn: 22.2

Alabama is 3-3 in six meetings under Saban at Jordan-Hare, never winning or losing more than one in a row. That might bode well for next season because Alabama lost 26-14 in their last meeting against Auburn on the Plains.

The Tigers have the potential to take a big step forward after last season’s disappointing 8-5 finish. The talent is there, depending on Gus Malzahn figuring out the quarterback situation. With spring in the rearview, the competition appears to have whittled down to two, with redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood and true freshman Box Nix splitting the majority of the first-team reps during the spring game.

If one of those two can take the reins and flourish, Auburn could be a serious threat in the SEC West in 2019. Going with history, I’ll take Alabama to come out on top in this game, but it’s likely to be a grinder.

Pick: Alabama 34, Auburn 27

Record: 12-0 (8-0)