Auburn Football: 3 bold predictions for the Iron Bowl

3. Behind strong defensive effort, Tigers cover the spread.

When Auburn has kept games close, it has been because the defense has played its heart out. When the Tigers took top-ranked Georgia into the fourth quarter tied at 17, it was because of the strong play of Ron Roberts’ unit.

During the Tigers’ three-game SEC winning streak, it was also the defense that fueled their victories. They held Vanderbilt to 15 points, Mississippi State to 13, and Arkansas to just 10.

As of November 1st, the improvement on this side of the ball is substantial. After allowing 29.5 points per game a season ago, Auburn is a whole touchdown better, giving up just 22.5.

Alabama’s offense has improved mightily as the season has progressed, so completely stopping Milroe and Co. is going to be a tall task. If the Tiger offense follows the game plan, gains first downs, and eats the clock, the defense will be fresh deep into the second half. That will go a long way in slowing down the Tide.

This unit has playmakers, and if guys like Eugene Asante, Jaylin Simpson, and Donovan Kaufman can replicate their season-long success on Saturday, it will go a long way toward keeping this game tight.

Predicting an Auburn win here would be a bridge too far. It’s a possibility, but it is far from a lock. Auburn faithful can feel confident in this, however: the Tigers will show up, and they will make a game out of this.

This has the makings of a game like the 2015 or 2016 matchups, in which Alabama won by 16 and 18 respectively. The spread here in 2013 is Alabama -14.5 as of writing, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see that number climb a bit.

The Tigers, behind a raucous Jordan-Hare crowd and a strong defensive effort, are a strong contender to cover that number.