Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from Iron Bowl blowout over Auburn

The absence of Nick Saban didn’t matter as Alabama football continued to roll with a thrashing of rival, Auburn. What’d we learn?

Over the course of the past decade, there has not been a more anticipated rivalry game in college football than the Iron Bowl. Auburn has had their fair share of special moments with upset wins over the Crimson Tide in 2013 as well as 2019.

Even with that history, these teams have been in two different directions throughout the season. Alabama has won every game this season by two scores or more, including a 17-point win over Georgia. For Auburn, they have continued to build momentum with three straight wins after falling to South Carolina.

The biggest question mark would be how much of an impact would the Tide have without having their man making the calls in Nick Saban. Saban was not able to  travel with the team after testing positive for COVID-19. Acting head coach Steven Sarkisian would take over in the biggest rivalry of the year for the state of Alabama.

To begin the game, each team would trade 3 and out’s. Auburn’s first possession would be headlined by a Christopher Allen sack. After not getting to Nix once last year, Alabama would make it a priority to do it early this time around. The Crimson Tide would add another on the next defensive possession with Christian Barmore getting a hand on Nix.

It was a matter of time until Alabama would  strike as Auburn has a busted coverage. A pump fake does enough for speedster Devonta Smith to put the Crimson Tide on the board for 66 yards.

Off of a play action pass, Jones would hit Harris out of the backfield as he would break a tackle and get inside the 10. One play later, Jones would hit Wide receiver John Metchie over the middle for a seven-yard touchdown and Alabama with a two-score lead a minute into the second quarter.

In one of the more successful drives for the Tigers, Auburn would rely on receiver Anthony Schwartz and freshman sensation Running back Tank Bigsby to put the Tigers well into Alabama territory. Kicker Anders Carlson would put the Tigers on the board, but still down 14-3.

Wide receiver Jahleel Billingsley would step up and have his best game of the season last week, with a three-catch, 78-yard performance against Kentucky. He would continue his insertion in the offense as Jones would throw a beautiful ball with flawless touch to hit Billingsley in the bread basket.

Alabama would catch a humongous break as Wide receiver Seth Williams would break free on a similar route that Smith ran earlier. Williams would beat Daniel Wright, but dropped what would be a wide open walk in touchdown. Instead it would end up in the hands of Malachi Moore. Jones would take a knee and take an 18-point lead into halftime.

The Tigers had just 153 total yards in the first half held to just 96 yards through the air for Nix. However, Nix would start much better to begin the second half with a strike over the middle of the field to Shedrick Jackson.

The 37-yard completion would be the biggest play of the day up to that point. Carlson would add his second field goal of the game, attempting to cut into a still comfortable lead for Alabama.

Just in case for some reason someone may forget, Smith is still one of, if not, the best wide receiver in all of college football as Jones would hit him on a slant, one broken tackle, and his speed does everything else. Fifty-eight yards later and this game becomes a three-score contest.

The playmakers would continue to feast as it would be Running back Najee Harris’s turn to find the end zone. It would be Harris’s 17th of the season, which leads all of college football. A 39-yard scamper would put Alabama up 35-6 and put this ballgame out of reach halfway into the third quarter.

The one that broke the camel’s back was touchdown pass No. 5 for Jones as he hit John Metchie for his second touchdown catch of the day on third-and-13.

Auburn would finally find the end zone with less than five minutes in the game with a Nix keeper from a yard out to make it a 42-13 game. That would also be the final score as Alabama steamrolled Auburn and got their revenge from last season.

Mac Jones would finish his day with 302 yards and five touchdowns on 18-26 passing. Harris would lead the ground game with 96 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. Smith would add seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

What’d we learn from the Iron Bowl?