Kevin Steele is no stranger to the Iron Bowl. Auburn's defensive coordinator spent much of his youth in Prattville, Alabama, and served on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama from 2007-2008 and 2013-2014. His side on the rivalry has changed since then, but his opinion of its ferocity has not.
Throughout his career, he's coached in rivalries such as Nebraska-Oklahoma, Florida-Florida State, Florida-Miami, Clemson-South Carolina, LSU-Alabama andTennessee-Alabama. But nothing compares to the Iron Bowl in his mind.
"Maybe it's because I grew up in this state, but I didn't feel this or sense this in any other rivalry," Steele said. "It means a great deal to this state in a lot of ways. It's pretty much in your face 365 days a year."
Steele claims that he's had relatives not speak to each other for months because of the game. He's seen the intensity of the rivalry first-hand.
He's also seen Nick Saban's methods first-hand. Spending four years coaching under a man who has won four national championships in seven years allowed Steele to get a full glimpse into what's referred to as "the process."
"I think, obviously, coach's record speaks for itself," Steele said. "He's a very focused man. He has a way he wants things done. And he gets everybody on the same page with that process. They buy into it, and they just march to it."
Steele's defense has been among the strongest in college football this season, as the Tigers have allowed an average of 14.3 points per game this season. Auburn is on pace to have its best scoring defense since 2004.
However, Steele knows that the top-ranked Crimson Tide present challenges other offenses don't.
"It's a lot different offense than it was five years ago, three years ago, even in some ways a year ago," Steele said. "I think that comes about because their offensive coordinator [Lane Kiffin] is really a very, very bright offensive mind."
Kiffin is in his third season as Alabama's offensive coordinator and is working with his third different starting quarterback. The Tide utilized Blake Sim's athleticism in 2014 and relied on a consistent Jake Coker a year ago during their title run. Of course, it helped Coker that he had Heisman winner Derrick Henry to hand it off to.
However, this season, Alabama has a new kind of threat under center. Freshman Jalen Hurts has used his big arm and speed to power the Crimson Tide's potent offense. Steele knows that containing Hurts will be crucial in order to pull off the upset.
"We don't want to flush him out and make him throw on the run because now you have a double-edged sword in that he doesn't have to throw it and he can run real fast and far," Steele said. "And he does often. So, you know, as we look at things, we'll look at what has affected him the most in previous games."
The best model for containing Alabama's offense was LSU's performance in Baton Rouge. The Tigers shut Alabama out for three quarters and never allowed Hurts to get in a groove throwing the ball. However, he ran 20 times for 114 yards on the night and wore out the Bayou Bengals exhausted defense in the final quarter.
The Tigers have an opportunity to potentially earn a Sugar Bowl berth with a win in Tuscaloosa, and Auburn is the lone traditional SEC team that Saban has yet to defeat three times in a row. For any dreams of New Orleans and an upset of their in-state rivals to come true, the Tigers will need their defense to step up against the Tide's talented attack.
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.
