A win over Auburn would only grow his popularity with the Crimson Tide. ESPN's matchup predictor gives Alabama a 73.5% chance of winning. Kickoff is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Jordan-Hare Stadium, airing on ABC.

But the Iron Bowl is unlike any other game. Sure, the Auburn Tigers are in transition after firing head coach Hugh Freeze, but the team has a newfound emphasis under interim HC DJ Durkin. And last week, Auburn unveiled its new QB. But against the Alabama Crimson Tide, that won't be the case.

Auburn football interim head coach D.J. Durkin was very coy on what the Tigers were planning on doing against Alabama at quarterback.

Despite a struggling pass defense and missing safety Sylvester Smith for half the game, Auburn's 23 pass breakups and 12 interceptions in 2025 could be key against Alabama's high-powered offense.

Domination met alarming turnovers. Despite a historic blowout, Alabama's passing game and special teams revealed crucial flaws before their Auburn showdown.

Alabama beat Eastern Illinois 56-0 on Saturday, Nov. 22. Simpson led Alabama with 147 yards on 11-of-16 passing (68.8%) for no touchdowns and two interceptions. Miller carried the ball 11 times for 62 yards and scored one touchdown. Jaylen Mbakwe recorded 39 yards on two catches.

The road to Birmingham’s Protective Stadium runs through Duck Samford Stadium this Friday night as the crosstown rivals Auburn Tigers (10-2) and Opelika Bulldogs (9-3) collide for the 101st time in a highly-anticipated AHSAA Class 7A semifinal matchup.

The SEC will be a decider for many CFP contenders, while the bowl picture is coming into focus as more teams hit the six-win mark.