Alabama football aiming to keep playoff hopes alive in 2019 Iron Bowl
Alabama football looks to improve its College Football Playoff ranking with a strong win over the Auburn Tigers in the 2019 Iron Bowl.
The Iron Bowl, between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers, is consistently one of the most anticipated games of the college football season. Alabama has dominated the historic rivalry game recently, winning the last four of five matchups.
The Crimson Tide enter Week 14 with a 10-1 record and find themselves just outside the Top 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, at No. 5. Alabama’s lone loss came at the hands of the LSU Tigers, 46-41. Although the score indicates this was merely a five point loss, anyone who watched the game will tell you it was significantly one-sided in favor of LSU.
The Auburn Tigers, who are the highest ranked 3-loss team, enter the game at No. 15. Their three losses were against No. 11 Florida, No. 2 LSU, and No. 4 Georgia. Auburn’s best win was their first of the year against Oregon, who recently lost to Arizona State. Frankly, the Tigers ranking appears a little too high to me.
Here’s how to watch the 2019 Iron Bowl:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 30
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, AL.
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live
Keys to Victory
Alabama will have its first real test since their star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, critically injured his hip which ended his season. Nick Saban will now have to rely on Mac Jones, or even possibly Tua’s brother, Taulia, to lead this Alabama team to victory over their biggest rival. In order to be successful, the Crimson Tide will need to establish a run-game early in the game. A respectable run-game will take the pressure off the less-experienced quarterback.
Auburn’s freshman quarterback, Bo Nix, will be playing in his first game against Alabama, but this isn’t a cause for concern. The Tigers have lost most of their tough games this season, but those losses don’t rest on Nix’s shoulders. The Alabama defense has many holes in it. If Auburn can take care of the football, they will have ample opportunity to score. To come out victorious, however, the Tigers need to put pressure on Jones or Taulia.
Betting Lines
Odd courtesy of The Action Network.
Point Spread: Alabama -3.5
Over/Under: 49.5
Next. Ranking college football's top 50 fanbases. dark
Prediction
Just like Tua emerged on the biggest stage when he took over for Jalen Hurts in the 2018 National Championship Game, a new Alabama quarterback will step up under pressure. Mac Jones will struggle in the first half and Saban will put in Taulia. After a first half deficit, the Crimson Tide will come back for the victory.
Final Score: Alabama 21, Auburn 17