aubiefifty

salty you going to the aufam tail gate?

tis slow right now. maybe it will pick up later. all i can say is WAR DAMN EAGLE and beat the turds!

247sports.com The Real Deal Alabama week Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes Auburn takes on Alabama in the Iron Bowl on Saturday. AUBURN, Alabama—Coming off a disappointing loss to New Mexico State last Saturday, the Auburn Tigers (6-5, 3-4) have a final opportunity in the regular season to make some noise when rival Alabama (10-1, 7-0) rolls into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS. Senior tight end Luke Deal has been a part of this rivalry since being on campus as a recruit for the 2019 game. He talks about this game, what it means, the mindset of this team, and more in this week's Real Deal. National media predictions for the Iron Bowl Dive in below for picks and score predictions from nearly 70 media members An Auburn upset in the Iron Bowl is never improbable, but the Tigers do face an significant uphill battle in this year's edition of the rivalry. Alabama has won nine straight and is heading to Atlanta for the SEC championship next weekend, while Auburn is coming off one of the worst losses in program history, 31-10 at the hands of New Mexico State. For Saturday evening's matchup, Auburn Undercover rounded up straight-up picks from college football writers across the country. Auburn looks to be closing at around a 14.5-point underdog. Can Auburn make a game of it and rely on the Jordan-Hare Stadium magic? Or is Alabama hitting its stride at just the right time. Dive in below for score predictions and picks from nearly 70 media members for Auburn's upset bid against the Crimson Tide, as the Tigers look to close out the regular season with a bang in Year 1 under Hugh Freeze. 247SPORTS NATIONAL TEAM Chris Hummer: Alabama 38-20 Brad Crawford: Alabama 35-17 Josh Pate: Alabama CBS SPORTS Dennis Dodd: Alabama Tom Fornelli: Alabama Chip Patterson: Alabama Barrett Sallee: Alabama David Cobb: Alabama Shehan Jeyarajah: Alabama Jerry Palm: Alabama ESPN ESPN SP+ (Bill Connelly): Alabama 32-18 ESPN FPI: Alabama 85.8% chance to win USA TODAY NETWORK Kevin Brockway, The Gainesville Sun: Alabama 35-10 Jackson Fuller, Southwest Times Record: Alabama 38-17 Koki Riley, The Daily Advertiser: Alabama 35-21 Emily Adams, Greenville News: Alabama 35-20 Ryan Black, The Courier Journal: Alabama 49-10 David Eckert, Clarion Ledger: Alabama 31-17 Nick Kelly, Tuscaloosa News: Alabama 23-17 Stefan Krajisnik, Clarion Ledger: Alabama 35-20 Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Alabama 35-17 Adam Sparks, Knoxville News Sentinel: Alabama 38-17 Calum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune: Alabama 35-17 MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER Richard Silva: Alabama 31-20 AL.COM Michael Casagrande: Alabama 38-10 Matt Cohen: Alabama 38-24 Evan Dudley: Alabama 41-13 Ben Flanagan: Alabama 37-20 Patrick Greenfield: Alabama 31-10 Andrew Hammond: Alabama 28-27 Mark Inabinett: Alabama 28-22 Ainslie Lee: Alabama 42-31 Creg Stephenson: Alabama 27-17 DALLAS MORNING NEWS Scott Bell: Alabama Corby Davidson: Alabama Jamie Hancock: Alabama Selby Lopez: Alabama Newy Scruggs: Alabama Kevin Sherrington: Alabama Brett Vito: Alabama COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS Brooks Austin, DawgsDaily.com: Alabama Big Red Max, All Huskers: Alabama Kevin Borba, All Utes & All Cardinal: Alabama Jackson Caudell, All Yellow Jackets: Alabama Bryan Driskell, Irish Breakdown: Alabama Pete Fiutak, CFN: Alabama Casey Lundquist, Cougs Daily: Alabama Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com: Alabama Mike McAllister, All Syracuse: Alabama Andy Mitts, Blue Wings Rising: Alabama Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire.com: Alabama Stephen Thompson, Inside The Panthers: Alabama Mark Wogenrich, AllPennState.com: Alabama BLEACHER REPORT David Kenyon: Alabama 34-17 SPORTING NEWS Bill Bender: Alabama 35-16 ATHLON SPORTS Luke Easterling: Alabama Steven Lassan: Alabama Joe Vitale: Alabama ASSOCIATED PRESS Ralph Drusso: Alabama 31-14 BAMA247 Cody Goodwin: Alabama 35-7 John Talty: Alabama 34-24 Mike Rodak: Alabama 28-13 Kirk McNair: Alabama 35-17 Brett Greenburg: Alabama 34-13 AUBURN UNDERCOVER Phillip Marshall: Alabama 28-16 Jason Caldwell: Alabama 31-20 Nathan King: Alabama 31-20 Christian Clemente: Alabama 27-17 Phillip Dukes: Auburn 31-30 Matthew Wallace: Alabama 31-21 Ronnie Sanders: Auburn 27-24 FINAL TALLY Alabama picks: 67 Auburn picks: 2 Auburn covers the spread (-14.5): 43.6% of score predictions Average score prediction: Alabama 33-18

al.com Hugh Freeze beat Alabama and Nick Saban twice. One of them has changed Updated: Nov. 24, 2023, 10:07 a.m.|Published: Nov. 24, 2023, 6:02 a.m. 10–13 minutes On Sept. 19, 2015, Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss ended Nick Saban’s Alabama football dynasty. At least that’s what the pundits said, when the Rebels beat the Crimson Tide for the second season in a row, this time at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Freeze’s fast-paced offense made the Crimson Tide’s defense look antiquated, the UA offense was befuddled by a quarterback change, and the winds of college football looked to be shifting. Alabama simply looked sloppy, and the then-Ole Miss head coach seemed to have the Rebels primed for a run at the crown. Eight years later, things have changed. Saban faces Freeze again Saturday, this time in the Iron Bowl at Auburn. The two coaches careers have crossed in multiple ways since Ole Miss scored those two wins. Here’s a look at how they got here. ‘Create a path’ Saban loves second chances. When an Alabama player makes an off-field mistake, the coach looks for reasons to keep them around, help them find the right path. In his mind, kicking someone off the team eliminates his opportunity to change their life. Ask him his reasoning and he’ll occasionally launch into a story of a time when he faced external pressure to boot wideout Muhsin Muhammad from his Michigan State roster. Instead he kept Muhammad around, and the receiver made good, graduating, playing in the NFL and building a life for himself. “There’s probably some occasion where most of us in this room, including myself, did something in our life that probably wasn’t a great choice and a great decision,” Saban said at SEC Media Days in July. “And we always want to try to create a path for players who have made a mistake to get a second chance, but also to help educate them on what they can learn from the poor decision or judgment that they actually made.” That extends to staff as well. Saban’s reform school for fired coaches has become legendary, with graduates who went on to get another head job including Lane Kiffin, Butch Jones, Mike Locksley, Steve Sarkisian and more. And in 2018, he reportedly wanted Freeze. “I think Hugh Freeze is a really good coach,” Saban said in January of that year. “So we’ll keep evaluating and trying to make our staff as strong as we can make it.” Since that 2015 game, Freeze’s career had hit the skids due to scandals of his own creation. It wasn’t even the NCAA investigation issues that hung over the program for years, which Freeze stoked in an infamous 2013 social media post encouraging readers to contact Ole Miss compliance with any alleged violations. No, the married Freeze was done in by contacting escort services on his university-issued phone. The records were made public as part of a lawsuit involving his predecessor, Houston Nutt, and led to his forced resignation in 2017 for a “pattern of personal misconduct.” Now, Saban wanted to give him a life raft, bring him aboard as an offensive assistant. Then Greg Sankey stepped in. The SEC commissioner reportedly nixed the hire, pointing out that it wasn’t a good look for the league so soon after the firing. Instead of using the Saban method to get his next gig, Freeze took the head coach job at Liberty, where he was hired by Ian McCaw, the athletic director who resigned in disgrace from Baylor after a massive sexual misconduct scandal there. Liberty, a conservative Christian school founded by the late Jerry Falwell Sr., allowed Freeze to rehab his image, in-part through the evangelical religion that he’s built into his public persona for years. Freeze was also fairly successful on the field, finishing 10-1 in 2020 and winning the Cure Bowl with the Flames, who were an independent FBS team at the time. And in November of 2022, Auburn came calling. Bryan Harsin was fired, Lane Kiffin was staying at Ole Miss and the Tigers were willing to overlook Freeze’s baggage in the name of winning. “Coach Freeze was completely transparent about his past transgressions,” AU athletics director John Cohen claimed in a prepared statement while introducing Freeze. “He showed remorse, and he’s had an accountability plan that he’s used for the last five-plus years.” Changing with the times As it turned out, the Saban dynasty’s demise had been exaggerated. Since that day at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2015, Alabama’s head coach, never one to “waste a failing,” had used the loss as an opportunity to evolve. During the losses to Ole Miss, UA’s defense looked ill-prepared to deal with Freeze’s high-octane attack. That issue has been remedied. “When I was a defensive coordinator at the Cleveland Browns say, and I thought if I called base closed triple 88, six Bronco, that was telling everybody what to do on every formation. Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show in October. “If you try to make that call now against a fastball team, no way. “We just have a one-word call for that. Buckeye.” The 2015 loss to Ole Miss didn’t cost Alabama the national title, the Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff and won. But it did make Saban rethink his approach to things going forward. Besides the defensive changes, he evolved the offense. Lane Kiffin had arrived as offensive coordinator in 2014 and was the catalyst for bringing modern offensive football to Tuscaloosa. Before, the Crimson Tide was winning titles with the likes of Greg McElroy and Jake Coker at quarterback. Extremely serviceable for the system, but not the dynamic presence of players like Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Bryce Young or even Jalen Milroe. Saban had once doubtfully pondered the way offense was moving in college football. “Is this what we want football to be?” he famously asked in 2012. It ended up being a rhetorical question, Saban got with the times, spurred on by the constant need to win. He and the Tide captured more titles in 2017 and 2020 and have been in contention nearly every season since. Freeze and Saban last met during the Auburn coach’s final season at Ole Miss in 2017. Freeze’s last win against Alabama came in that 2015 game. When the two coaches stand on opposite sidelines Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, at least one of them has changed significantly. ‘The Iron Bowl is what it is’ Freeze is here, at least in part, because he beat Saban. The coach acknowledged how imperative the matchup with Alabama is to his program. “The Iron Bowl is what it is,” Freeze said at SEC media days. “And I don’t have to be educated on that. I’ve been a part of some big rivalries and understand that in most polls this would be No. 1 in the rivalry, so I know what it means to the people that support our university and our football program.” The Tigers got rid of Gus Malzahn in 2020, after he won three games against his counterpart in Tuscaloosa throughout his eight-year tenure. Harsin never it done, flaming out on the plains after two seasons. Freeze hadn’t been squeaky clean since his exile in Lynchburg began. He was exposed for sending unsolicited direct messages defending McCaw to Chelsea Andrews, a sexual assault survivor and former Liberty student who had been critical of the AD and was one one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging the school mishandled sexual misconduct allegations. There was also a cloud from a 2017 USA Today report, where former students of Briarcrest Christian School in Tennessee, where Freeze coached and taught, claimed he, among other things, had made a female eighth-grade student change shirts in his office. Cohen claimed Auburn did its due diligence in hiring Freeze. However, according to Andrews, she was never contacted during the vetting process. “Everything he disclosed to us turned out to be accurate after speaking with credible industry sources,” Cohen said during an introductory press conference where he didn’t take any questions after his prepared remarks. “In this way, coach Freeze was honest and truthful, another Auburn Creed characteristic.” Across the state, Saban has been going through another relative dry spell. The Tide hasn’t won a national title since 2020, while Georgia has become the sport’s dominant power in the meantime. A loss to Texas in Week 2, followed by a rough showing at South Florida revived the dead dynasty narrative. But Alabama is entering the Iron Bowl undefeated in SEC play and still in the hunt for a spot in the CFP’s field of four. The Tide has looked better nearly every week. “I love it,” Saban said after UA beat Tennessee in October. “It’s been great. The challenges are great. I enjoy coaching this team. That’s not to say they’re not taking years off my life, but I’m OK with it. It’s fun because they’ve got a good spirit about them.” Alabama has already locked up a spot against the Bulldogs in the SEC title game. But before that, to keep its playoff hopes alive, it will have to go through a familiar face. Freeze’s team has been inconsistent this season, bowl-eligible but coming off a blowout loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Conference USA’s New Mexico State. That’s not out of character for teams he has coached, even the 2015 team that beat the Tide lost to unranked Memphis and Arkansas, and last year’s Liberty squad beat Arkansas and BYU before losing its final four games, including an even worse defeat at the hands of NMSU. But Freeze can get teams up for big games. And Jordan-Hare Stadium has been a house of horrors for Alabama, including the 2021 game where the No. 3 Crimson Tide needed four overtimes to sneak past Harsin’s unranked Tigers. “Our players are going to have to be zeroed in on making the adjustments that we need to make,” Saban said Wednesday. “And I’m sure we’ll probably see something different in the game than what we practiced, so I think Hugh’s one of the best, most difficult preparations that we have when we play against his offenses.” The game is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Auburn. It will be aired on CBS. 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theplainsman.com Players to watch, keys to victory against Alabama 5–6 minutes After suffering a shocking loss to New Mexico State, Auburn (6-5, 3-4 SEC) has prepared for its biggest game this season: the Iron Bowl. The Tigers will host the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1, 7-0 SEC) in the 88th Iron Bowl, celebrating the 10th year since the Kick Six. Bama leads this historic matchup 49-37-1, dating all the way back to 1893. Suffering a three-year drought, Auburn is hungry for a victory over Alabama. The last win was in 2019 with Gus Malzahn at the helm and Bo Nix in the pocket. Head coach Nick Saban and his Tide will make a stop at Jordan-Hare Stadium before traveling to Atlanta for the SEC Championship against No. 1 Georgia. PLAYERS TO WATCH AUBURN: Jarquez Hunter (RB) Auburn’s offensive rhythm is dictated by its running back room, which starting running back Hunter leads. The former three-star running back leads the charge on the rushing front, rushing for 772 total yards in 10 games and seven touchdowns while averaging 77.2 yards a game. Eugene Asante - LB Asante has been dominant this season for the Tigers, being named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week once while generating buzz around his name in the NFL Draft. The Alexandria, Virginia, native leads Auburn’s defense with 79 total tackles – 47 solo and 32 assisted – five sacks and five QB hurries. ALABAMA: Jalen Milroe - QB Like many Alabama quarterbacks before him, Milroe is a dual threat in passing and rushing – making him explosive on the field. The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 2,267 yards with 142 completions (66%) and only six interceptions, while also securing 19 touchdowns through the air. With his legs, Milroe has rushed for 332 net yards to score 12 touchdowns and averages 33.2 yards a game. Against Mississippi State, the Katy, Texas, native achieved his longest rush this season, going for a 53-yard touchdown. Caleb Downs - DB The young freshman leads Bama’s defense with 90 total tackles – 55 solo and 35 assisted – one forced fumble and a pair of interceptions. Later this season, Downs replaced Kool-Aid McKinstry as the punt returner against Chattanooga, showcasing his speed. On his first punt return, Downs ran 85 yards toward the end zone to secure a touchdown. KEYS TO VICTORY ALABAMA: To secure its 50th Iron Bowl, Bama must let Milroe control the game’s pace. Being a threat on the ground and in the air, the starting quarterback can challenge Auburn’s defense. Going behind enemy lines, it will be crucial to strike first and gain that early momentum to keep the fans at bay. If the Tide want to keep the Tigers off the board, they must eliminate Auburn’s rushing game to force Payton Thorne to utilize his arm and hope that he makes a mistake. Alabama’s defense must also be flexible to in-game adjustments. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox AUBURN: With passing being a struggle for Freeze’s offense, it is crucial for Auburn’s running back room to be successful and pressure Alabama’s defense, giving Thorne room to throw downfield. Ron Roberts’ defense is and has been the strongest aspect for the Tigers, keeping games close. During its 0-4 SEC streak, Auburn maintained a tied score with No. 1 Georgia until the fourth quarter and had another tied score with No. 13 Ole Miss until halftime – mostly thanks to its defense. The final key to victory is home field advantage. The Tigers will rely on the unpredictable environment of Jordan-Hare Stadium as there have been several games where the Tide was better on the stat sheet, but Auburn stole the victory. The Tigers and the Tide will face off on the Plains at 2:30 p.m. CST. This historic matchup will be televised on CBS. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Caitlyn Griffin | Sports Writer Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. Twitter: @caitlyngrif99 Share and discuss “Players to watch, keys to victory against Alabama” on social media.

sportingnews.com Alabama vs. Auburn odds, props, predictions: Tide have CFP hopes, while Tigers are reeling heading into Iron Bowl Tony Mejia 8–10 minutes After surviving the feared Chattanooga Mocs of the FCS, Alabama has put itself in position to potentially crash the College Football Playoff. With its ninth consecutive victory since an ugly home loss to Texas that had many writing Nick Saban and his team off for the season, 'Bama must get through the Iron Bowl before entering the SEC Championship game against Georgia with an opportunity to play its way into a top-four ranking in the eyes of the selection committee. Alabama vs. Auburn odds and predictions require weighing how much the rivalry aspect of a pairing comes into play between teams coming into a game in such opposite directions. The Tigers are down bad entering this showdown with their hated in-state rival. Maybe Auburn was caught looking ahead despite all of first-year head coach Hugh Freeze’s warnings, or maybe they’re just that flawed, but New Mexico State went into Jordan-Hare Stadium, collecting a check for a reported $1.85 million for doing so, and trounced its host. The Aggies, who will play in the Conference USA Championship game, rolled 31-10, keeping Auburn from guaranteeing itself a winning record for the first time since 2020. In order to do that prior to a bowl game, the Tigers must upset the Crimson Tide, which hasn’t happened since 2019. The 88th Iron Bowl, the annual rivalry game that Alabama has won 11 out of the last 15 years will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the legendary “Kick-Six.” The action goes off on Saturday at 3.:30 p.m. ET. Alabama vs. Auburn odds: Point spread, moneyline, total Here are the latest college football betting odds for the Crimson Tide vs. Tigers: Alabama betting news: Tide look for fourth straight Iron Bowl win The Crimson Tide (10-1 SU, 8-3 ATS) have passed every test since losing 34-24 to Texas in front of a dejected sellout crowd in their second game of the season. Some games didn’t go as smoothly as others, but the team that defeated Chattanooga 66-10 last weekend was lethal in ways that the one which limped to a 17-3 victory at South Florida to start their road to recovery, was not. This will be Alabama QB's Milroe’s first Iron Bowl. It comes at Jordan-Hare, where the Crimson Tide are just 2-3 since 2013 and 6-10 since these games were switched from the neutral site of Birmingham onto campus sites back in 1993. Milroe has been sharp outside Tuscaloosa, sporting a slightly higher QB rating and completing 68.7 percent of his passes in wins at Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Kentucky. Saban is 11-5 against Auburn, losing his first Iron Bowl in 2007 at Jordan-Hare, where he’s just 4-4. Given all of his team’s personnel losses and how sloppy they looked earlier this season, this is one of the 72-year-old’s best coaching jobs in Tuscaloosa. Even though the Crimson Tide are eighth in the CFP rankings entering November’s final weekend, the opportunity to upset No. 1 Georgia and the likelihood it would leapfrog losers of this weekend’s Ohio State-Michigan game and the Pac-12 Championship, put it squarely in the national title picture. Style points won’t come into play this weekend at Auburn, although dominating their arch rival certainly wouldn’t hurt. Since flirting with disaster at home in surviving Arkansas on Oct. 14, and an awful first half against Tennessee, Alabama has outscored opponents 184-59. It rallied to beat the Vols, tamed LSU, and routed Kentucky in Lexington. Entering this Auburn clash, the Tide are relatively healthy, and their seniors are looking to become the first class to go 4-0 against Auburn in over four decades. Although Saban has won the Iron Bowl three consecutive times twice, this would be the first time either program would notch four straight victories in this rivalry game since Paul “Bear” Bryant guided Alabama to conquests from 1973-81. Related: Top college football betting sites | Best college football betting promos and bonuses Auburn betting news: Tigers limping into rivalry clash There’s no way to sugarcoat how poorly the Tigers played at home last Saturday night. New Mexico State is having its best season since the 1960s, but had no business coming into SEC country and thoroughly dominating. Freeze didn’t like his team’s mindset going into the game and told reporters that everyone seemed to be “in a fog” in the aftermath, which isn’t a great place to be entering the biggest game of the season. Auburn (6-5, 5-6) was outgained 414-213 by NMSU, amassing just 65 rushing yards on 26 attempts in a listless performance. The Tigers never led, held the ball for just over 21 of the game’s 60 minutes and managed just 11 first downs. Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne, who has emerged as Auburn’s full-time starting QB, was also the team’s leading rusher. In Freeze, the Tigers do employ the last man to defeat Saban in back-to-back meetings. He accomplished that in 2014-15 while at Ole Miss, with quarterbacks Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly at the controls. While neither of those guys went onto wildly successful pro careers, they were competent, veteran SEC quarterbacks. Currently, Auburn lacks that ingredient, which is another reason it is a double-digit home underdog. Thorne has been serviceable, getting Auburn back to a bowl game after one-year absence, but he went through a four-game stretch of SEC losses in which he didn’t throw for more than 102 yards. Sure, he split time with Robby Ashford, Auburn’s dual threat QB, in a couple of those setbacks, but it’s a fact that the Tigers’ offense has lacked teeth with him at the controls. In 10 games against FBS competition, Thorne has passed for over 200 yards only once, so envisioning he’ll carve up the Alabama secondary seems far-fetched. Thorne has thrown nine touchdown passes and been intercepted only twice over the past four games, but the expectation is that he’ll face stiff competition from whoever the Tigers land via the transfer portal once the season ends as he looks to keep this job next season. More rivalry week betting previews: Arizona vs. Arizona State odds | Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State odds | Oregon State vs. Oregon odds | Washington State vs. Washington odds Alabama vs. Auburn prop picks Alabama QB Jalen Milroe anytime TD scorer (-115) Auburn QB Payton Thorne OVER 154.5 passing yards (-115) Milroe was tentative in running the football earlier this season, not capitalizing on one of his greatest strengths. He’s now up to 12 rushing TDs on the season, having scored seven in a two-game stretch in the Tide’s last two SEC wins over LSU and Kentucky. Look for him to call his own number in finding the end zone at least once. Thorne should get the bulk of the work if and when the Crimson Tide put themselves in position to cover this spread by going up multiple scores, since playing keepaway via Alford would no longer be a sound strategy. Freeze can’t afford to wave the white towel without a fight at home, especially after what happened last Saturday, so Thorne may set a new season-high in pass attempts, which is currently 32. Look for him to surpass 155 passing yards. Alabama vs. Auburn prediction ATS The Tigers are going to give Alabama a fight sooner than later, but they have a better chance of going into Tuscaloosa and winning next season than they do of hanging around in this one. Believe the wounded animal cliche all you want, but there’s a reason New Mexico State was able to come into Auburn’s stadium and push it around, and it wasn’t entirely tied to looking ahead. A major rebuild has been needed on the Plains since Gus Malzahn was let go, and success isn’t going to come overnight. Alabama should help hammer that point in by hammering the Tigers. Pick: Alabama -13.5 If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

si.com Alex McPherson has been a weapon for the Auburn Tigers Andrew Stefaniak ~2 minutes Alex McPherson has been great for the Auburn Tigers all season long. Kickers and offensive linemen have one thing in common: When they do good, people don't talk about it, but when they do bad, people notice. The Auburn Tigers have been very lucky for a long time to have had such good kickers, and it's nothing new with Alex McPherson kicking for Hugh Freeze's squad. McPherson has only attempted 12 field goals this season, but he hasn't missed any kicks. He is 3-3 on kicks between 40-49 yards and 1-1 on kicks 50-59 yards as he nailed a 53-yard kick. The sophomore has also not missed any extra points as he is a perfect 36-36, so McPherson hasn't missed a single kick this season. Coach Hugh Freeze talked about how nice it is to have a reliable kicker, and that's what the Tigers have in McPherson. You could argue that Auburn is Kicker University, as both Daniel Carlson and Anders Carlson are kicking in the NFL. After seeing the start of McPherson's career, there is doubt that he will be the next great Auburn kicker in the NFL. McPherson's brother Evan currently kicks for the Cincinnati Bengals and was a big part of their playoff run a few years back. It's great to see that once again Auburn always seems to have a kicker that can get the job done.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Alabama Brian Hauch 4–5 minutes The 6-5 Auburn Tigers finish the regular season on Saturday when they play host to the 10-1 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl. Auburn is coming off its worst loss of the season, and maybe the decade, last week in a 31-10 beatdown against New Mexico State. On the other side, Nick Saban and the Tide have been playing great football since an early-season loss to Texas, giving them an outside chance at the College Football Playoff. Despite the last three Iron Bowls at Jordan-Hare being decided by an average of 6 points, Nick Saban‘s squad is a 13.5-point favorite to improve to 10-1 according to Bet MGM. ESPN FPI seemingly agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives Alabama an 85.8% chance to keep their playoff hopes alive on Saturday. Will the tale of the tape tell us this game is going to be closer than expected, or is Alabama going to roll to another Iron Bowl victory? As always, we’ll start with the quarterbacks. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has had himself a roller coaster season more inconsistent than the food truck locations on campus. The junior played well in team’s 3-game win streak to open the year, then struggled for about a month before finding his footing at the end of October. Thorne averaged nearly 213 yards and 3 touchdowns per game in Auburn wins over Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State, leading many people to believe the offense had found life heading into the home stretch of the season. That belief fizzled last week, as Thorne threw for just 148 yards and 1 touchdown in the team’s loss to New Mexico State. The Tigers quarterback was also sacked 4 times. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has had a similar type of “roller coaster” season. The sophomore opened the season with accuracy issues, and while he’s figured out some, Milroe still struggles to throw the ball at times. The difference between Milroe and Thorne lies in their rushing ability. While the Alabama quarterback has only rushed for 332 yards, he’s collected 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 19 passing scores. Those 31 total touchdowns account for nearly double of Payton Thorne’s 17 total scores. The clear quarterback edge goes to Milroe and the Crimson Tide. Alabama also holds the edge in the position player battle. While Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter has been great this season, rushing for 772 yards and 7 scores, his presence isn’t enough to break through the rolling tide of offensive firepower on the Alabama side. Quarterback Jalen Milroe has done much of the heavy lifting in the red zone, but Tide running backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams have been great in-between the 20s. The tandem has rushed for 1,204 yards this season, on nearly 5.3 yards per carry. The duo gets the slight edge over Hunter. The real difference lies in the receiving core on the offensive side of the ball, as Alabama senior Jermaine Burton is easily the best pass-catcher in this game. Burton’s 642 receiving yards just about equal the recieving yards of the top 2 Tigers pass catchers, Rivaldo Fairweather (349) and jay fair (300). The Crimson Tide get the edge across the offense. The gap is closer of defense, but Alabama still gets the edge. Nick Saban’s defensive unit is about as stout as stout can get. They’ve held opponents to just over 17 points per game this season which has led them to the fifth-highest defensive efficiency ranking according to ESPN FPI. Auburn’s unit has been great for much of the season too, but struggled mightily against New Mexico State last week. Eugene Asante, Jalen McCleod, and the Tigers defense have held opponents to just under 21.5 points per game and they rank 19th in defensive efficiency. The defensive gap is close, and with Auburn having the home field advantage, I’m going to call it a wash for this Iron Bowl. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

i missed that one...........

waka.com Auburn hoping to take out No. 8 Alabama in Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium - WAKA 8 WAKA Action 8 News, 3–4 minutes Posted: Nov 23, 2023 12:49 AM CST by WAKA Action 8 News Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze walks off the field after a loss to New Mexico State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Alabama could stay in the running for a College Football Playoff spot heading into the SEC Championship Game against No. 1 Georgia. The Crimson Tide have won nine straight Iron Bowl games. The Auburn Tigers have relished the role of spoiler at times in the Iron Bowl. That would be the best salve for the wounds left from an embarrassing 31-10 loss to three-touchdown underdog New Mexico State. KEY MATCHUP Alabama’s big-play offense against a capitalistic Auburn defense. Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe has seven touchdown passes of 40-plus yards, and wide receiver Jermaine Burton is averaging 22.1 yards per catch with six TDs. Auburn is tied with Arkansas for the SEC lead with 17 forced turnovers, including 11 interceptions, led by safety Jaylin Simpson and cornerback Keionte Scott. PLAYERS TO WATCH Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter was a nonfactor against New Mexico State, which played keep away with the football most of the game. Hunter had only eight carries for 27 yards. But he ran for 134 yards on 11 runs in last year’s Iron Bowl, and the Tigers are much better when he’s playing a big role in the offense. Alabama freshman S Caleb Downs easily leads the team with 90 tackles, 33 more than No. 2 tackler Jihaad Campbell. Downs also has two interceptions and returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown against Chattanooga. It was his first punt return of the season. FACTS AND FIGURES Auburn has won three of the last five meetings at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the Tigers have a 10-6 Iron Bowl record. … Alabama has extended its own record with a 16th consecutive 10-win season. … The Tide have won 19 straight against unranked opponents and are 123-4 against them under coach Nick Saban. … Alabama kicker Will Reichard is nine points shy of Keenan Reynolds’ all-time NCAA scoring mark of 530 points and one shy of tying Kenneth Dixon for second place. … Auburn kicker Alex McPherson has made a school record 18 straight field goal attempts. … Auburn is seeking to become the 13th FBS team to reach 800 wins after failing in its first attempt. No. 8 Alabama (10-1, 6-1 SEC, No. 8 CFP) at Auburn (6-5, 3-4). Series: Alabama leads, 49-37-1. Kickoff is at 2:30PM Saturday on WAKA Action 8. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

auburnwire.usatoday.com 2025 OL Mal Waldrep 'really appeciates' his relationship with Auburn OL coach Jake Thornton JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Auburn is making a push for 2025 offensive lineman Mal Waldrep and a major reason for their success is his relationship with offensive line coach Jake Thornton. “He’s the man,” Waldrep told Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover. “He’s probably recruiting me the hardest out of any coach. Them and Coach Austin from Clemson. Both of them are still hard on me. Really, really pushing me to get up there as much as I can and get on campus. Texting and calling almost every day. Really appreciate the relationship he’s built with me over these past few months.” Waldrep is from Central-Phenix City, Alabama and has taken multiple trips to the Plains this season and is expected to be back for the Iron Bowl this weekend. He is the No. 437 overall player and No. 38 offensive tackle in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 20 player from Alabama. Waldrep is one of several players from Central that Auburn is recruiting, including 2024 wide receiver Cam Coleman and 2025 wide receiver Dalyn Upshaw. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

you are more than welcome to your take on it. once i laughed at one of his jokes he lightened up and became fun with me. shrugs. i hope this does not hurt our friendship asi was hoping for a great christmas present from you this year...........

i tried the rant but they are too clicky so to speak.only corch wouldtalk to me and it was because he knew me here before he was removed.

i am a weird cat and i own it but i liked pride. he was playing and using sarcastic humor most of the time until he got too personal with another member. i tied up with him over my lazy typing so i watched him and came to like his humor.

typical bammer

who ever runs that has done a jam up job! great pictures and video's.i had followed the site but never really checked it out. i also noticed they have no fighting at all. they even have videos of this huge grill and cooking a ton of food. i just wondered if the facebook folks that run the fam ever come over? i love the bus it reminds me of ken kesey and the merry pranksters magic bus. i would encourage you guys to check them out.

auburntigers.com The Opening Drive: Auburn vs. Alabama Auburn University Athletics 8–10 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – The Iron Bowl. There is no other rivalry like it in college football, maybe in all of sports. There's passion. There's intensity. There's drama. When Auburn and Alabama get together on the gridiron, you can expect a war. "You sure hope that if (our team) has any type of competitive spirit in them as an individual, they're going to shake off the cobwebs and get ready for this war that they're getting ready to go into, and it will be that," Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. For Freeze, this will be his first Iron Bowl. He had success against Alabama head coach Nick Saban while at Ole Miss, but this will be his first time facing the Crimson Tide as the head coach at Auburn. For Luke Deal, this will be his fifth Iron Bowl. He was on the Auburn team in 2019 that knocked off No. 5 Alabama in a 48-45 thriller. He was on the Auburn team in 2021 that took No. 3 Alabama to four overtimes. He knows what this rivalry means. He knows what's at stake when these two in-state rivals play every year. "It's something that you think about 365," Deal said. "This is the game that everybody thinks about in the offseason. When you're doing sprints, when you're lifting heavy weight, when you're about ready to pass out, your legs are cramping and you've got to lift a teammate up off the ground – you do it for this game, for this moment, for this Saturday. "There are just so many people that care so much about this game that you can't go into it lightly. You have to realize exactly who you're doing it for, what's your why, and how much this place means to you – which for me, it means everything." Deal will be one of 25 seniors recognized prior to Saturday's game. For those 25 seniors, this could very well be their final Iron Bowl, their last game in Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's a group that includes six fifth-year seniors who arrived at Auburn as part of the 2019 recruiting class. This will likely be their last home game together. "We have such a special group, a group that has seen a lot of change since we've been here," Deal said. "Not only with coaching changes and this and that, but guys who have left in the transfer portal. We don't have that many people left from our class. "It's just us locking arms together this week for this special game that means so much in that stadium with fans that are going to be going crazy the entire game for 60 minutes. It's going to be special for us." Auburn and Alabama will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT from Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised on CBS with Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Will Herring who will have the radio call on 94.3 FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the Auburn app. This week, fans attending the game are encouraged to wear navy. Q: How have you turned the page from last week and moved on? A: On Monday, it was "Work Day Monday." It was getting the truth about what happened last Saturday and figuring out what we have to do to get better each and every day. I just feel like we have to go back to the little things. On Saturdays, the team that wins is always the team that prepares the most. Once you realize that and realize that you always have to do the little things, that will help you out. Q: What does it mean to play in a rivalry game like this against Alabama? A: It's a bittersweet moment because it's my last home game here. Fifth-year senior. Just having an opportunity to come to Auburn and experience everything Auburn provided for me – from different things I've been through, adversity – I feel like this game is something I'm going to remember forever because it's going to be my last game in Jordan-Hare. Q: What do you remember from your first Iron Bowl in 2019? A: That game was crazy. It was amazing. I didn't play a lot, I redshirted that year, but just having the chance to be around that brotherhood they built before I got here and being a part of that team made me understand you can be something someday. Having an opportunity to play in this game now a fourth time, I understand how important it is to the Auburn community. In this 88th Iron Bowl, Auburn and Alabama will meet for the 76th consecutive year since 1948. Auburn trails the overall series by a 37-49-1 record but leads the Iron Bowl 17-13 when the game is played on campus, including a 10-6 mark in games played at Auburn. Before 1989, the series was primarily played in Birmingham (Alabama leads 36-20-1) and Montgomery (series tied 2-2). Auburn has an all-time record of 53-70-7 in regular-season finales since 1892. The Tigers are 87-30-6 all-time in the final game played in Auburn each season. 194.3: Establishing a ground game will be important against Alabama. Auburn currently ranks third in the SEC averaging 194.3 rushing yards per game and is fifth in the league with 19 rushing touchdowns this season. 1,000: Wide receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson caught two passes for 46 yards last week. His 46 yards put him over 1,000 career receiving yards. The fifth-year senior now has 271 receiving yards on the season and 1,038 for his career – all in the last three years. 17: Auburn had a 19-game streak of forcing at least one turnover snapped against New Mexico State. Since 2013, the Tigers are 72-37 when they force at least one turnover and 44-14 when they force multiple turnovers. They are tied with Arkansas for the SEC lead in turnovers forced this season with 17 (11 interceptions, 6 fumbles recovered). 86: Saturday's Iron Bowl will be the final regular season SEC game aired on CBS. Auburn has made 86 previous appearances on CBS and holds a 39-47 record. The first appearance came in the 1954 Gator Bowl where the Tigers beat Baylor 33-13. Players Mentioned #86 Luke Deal TE 6' 5" Senior Education #6 Ja'Varrius Johnson WR 5' 10" Senior Business #10 Zion Puckett S 6' 0" Senior Liberal Arts

theplainsman.com COLUMN | Why Auburn fans should have hope for the Iron Bowl Luca Flores | Staff Photographer 6–8 minutes It’s been four years since the Auburn Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl. Here are some reasons fans should believe they can do it again: 1. Hugh Freeze's history against Nick Saban and Alabama Coach Freeze Only eight active head coaches in college football have at least once victory over Saban since he took over the Crimson Tide in 2007, and Freeze is one of them – defeating Alabama twice over the 2014-15 season. Both those wins were early in Freeze's tenure with Ole Miss, and now, he's early in his tenure on the Plains. Freeze has years of experience in the SEC, knows how the league works and has the luxury of having coaching experience against Saban – something that many first-year head coaches in the SEC don't get. 2. Freeze's experience as a big underdog Hugh Freeze in the Auburn walkout against UMass at Jordan Hare Stadium on September 2nd 2023 According to the sports book at USA Today, the Tigers are 14.5-point underdogs for this year's Iron Bowl. While Auburn is projected to lose by just over two touchdowns, this isn't the first time a Freeze led team has been heavy underdogs and nearly or outright won. Just earlier this season Georgia was favored by 14.5 against Auburn, but the game came down to the final drives. While the Bulldogs prevailed, it took some incredible catches from tight end Brock Bowers to carry Georgia to a victory in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Freeze was also on the short end of the betting odds a couple times at Liberty. In November 2020, Freeze and his Liberty Flames went on the road as 17-point underdogs to face Virginia Tech. However, the Flames left Lane Stadium as a three-point winner thanks to a game-winning, 51-yard field goal and a fourth quarter that saw Freeze's offense score 17 points. Similarly, Liberty was a 14.5-point underdog last season on the road against Arkansas, yet the Flames came out victorious in a 21-19 win. All that to say, being a heavy underdog is not a new thing for Freeze, and he has history of picking up monumental wins even when he isn't supposed to. 3. Forget last week's result Auburn's loss to New Mexico State last week is arguably the worst loss in Auburn football history. However, the loss is in the past and instead of dwelling on it, the Tigers should think back to what they did well over the three-week span that saw them win three consecutive games over SEC opponents. It goes without saying that Auburn cannot play the same way it did against New Mexico State if it wants to beat Alabama. If Auburn wants to pull off the shocking upset, it's not only going to have to retool its offense, defense and special teams back to the way they performed over the three-game winning streak, but even better as Alabama is much more talented than Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox 4. The magic of Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn fans cheer on the Tigers in Jordan Hare Stadium, against Samford, on September 16, 2023. Even after a shocking loss last week, you can bet that Jordan-Hare Stadium will still be packed out, ready to cheer on the Tigers just a couple days after Thanksgiving. In the 2021-22 season under first-year head coach Bryan Harsin, Auburn was nosediving with a thee-game losing streak on its hands and had just suffered a bad loss to 5-6 South Carolina the week before the Iron Bowl. However, the stands were still filled with orange and blue, and the environment of the game, which undoubtedly motivated the players, led the Tigers to a near victory over a 10-1 Alabama team that ended in a two-point loss after four overtimes. In six of the last seven games of the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium, we've seen games head into the fourth quarter with Auburn either winning or trailing by just one possession. Crazy, unexplainable things happen when the Iron Bowl is on the Plains. It's evident with improbable endings like the "Kick Six" in 2013 that saw Chris Davis return a missed field goal with one second left 109 yards for a walk-off touchdown. The 2017 rout over the Tide to win the SEC West and the late missed field goal from Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl that saw a freshman quarterback knock off Saban and the Tide are two more recent examples. Though the "experts" say Auburn's chances are slim, Auburn fans know not to lose hope. In a rivalry where one second can change the outcome of a game, it is always unwise to count Auburn out. With a coach who has proven he can beat Alabama and the magical advantage Auburn has at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Auburn Family just needs to believe in its team and maybe, just maybe, there will be a celebration like no other at Toomer's Corner on Saturday night. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Matthew Wallace | Assistant Sports Editor Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021. Twitter: @mattwallaceAU Sami Grace Donnelly | Opinion Editor Jacob Waters | Sports Editor Jacob Waters is a senior majoring in journalism. From Leeds, Alabama, he started with The Plainsman in August, 2021. Twitter: @JacobWaters_ Share and discuss “COLUMN | Why Auburn fans should have hope for the Iron Bowl” on social media.