Entering the 2019 Iron Bowl, Auburn was 8-3 and Alabama was 10-1. While the Tigers were out of the SEC Championship and playoff discussion, Auburn still came away with the 48-45 victory.
For Auburn quarterback Bo Nix who also grew up watching the Iron Bowl as an Auburn fan, the rivalry game is a “must watch” every season.
"Like I said before, it’s a great rivalry,” Nix said. “It’s fun to be a part of. It’s fun to be a fan in the stands, it’s fun to be a player on the field, it’s fun at home watching it on the T.V. Really, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, it’s a game you must watch, and we’re really looking forward to it.”
With another matchup between the two schools kicking off on Saturday, Auburn heads into this year’s meeting at 5-2 and Alabama at 7-0.
This season, Auburn is ranked No. 22 in the nation and Alabama comes in ranked No. 1. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn is 1-2 against the Crimson Tide when Alabama is ranked No. 1.
Auburn faces an uphill battle this weekend, and Nix knows how much this one means all across the state.
“Probably, you play as hard as you’ve played in a game in your entire life, just because of how much it means,” Nix said. “There are a lot of kids going to school on Monday who are going to have to put up with a lot of crap whichever way it goes.”
Last year’s win was a big boost for the Auburn quarterback; a repeat performance could help Auburn finish strong against Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
The confidence from last season’s victory is something that Nix is carrying over into this year’s matchup.
“I think it gives me a lot of confidence, knowing that I’m going into a tough place,” Nix said. “Obviously, we have a ton of guys coming back, a lot of the same skill guys that we had last year, and then obviously a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball that do the same thing. So I feel comfortable. A lot of the guys that made big plays last year, they’re back. We’re looking forward to Saturday.”
The Tigers may have won last season, but that was inside the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare. This season, Auburn heads to Tuscaloosa, where the Tigers haven’t won since 2010.
According to Nix, overcoming challenges has been something that Malzahn has preached to his team all year.
Not only do they face the No. 1 team on the road, but Auburn might also be without standout freshman running back Tank Bigsby and starting offensive linemen Alec Jackson and Brodarious Hamm.
“We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity, a lot of uncertainties, stuff, not really sure what’s going on,” Nix said. “So [Malzahn’s] definitely been in our ear about it, been telling us.
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
