This Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Auburn Tigers will take on the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide in the final game of the season, where a win will qualify Auburn for a bowl game, and a loss puts an end to the 2025 season. Here's how our sports staff thinks it's going to go down.
Jackie Dominguez, Sports Editor: Auburn 27-24
This is going to be a tight game, with Auburn fighting for a chance to be in a bowl game, and Alabama fighting to secure its spot in the SEC Championship game. I think Deuce Knight's explosive performance last week has earned him a chance to see the field today, though I do expect Ashton Daniels to start. The main focus in today's game is going to be defense. If the Auburn secondary can lock down Alabama's receivers down the field, I think that the defense will be able to hold Alabama to a low score. Meanwhile, if the blitz and rush defense for the Crimson Tide are especially tough, I think the Auburn offensive line won't be able to hold them back. No matter what happens, I expect a tight and electric game, and it's going to be a dogfight for the victory.
Reid Farris, Assistant Sports Editor: Alabama 27-23
I see this game being another classic iron bowl in its 90th iteration of the rivalry where despite the records of either team it will be a highly competitive game. The Tigers will be looking to shut down Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and his supporting cast in order to give themselves a good chance at winning this game and being bowl eligible. Auburn will need to win the key moments getting a big third down stop here and there and maybe a few timely turnovers to pull the momentum in their favor.
I also see Alabama struggling to stop the Auburn short passing game especially early as I expect Ashton Daniels to extend a few plays and give the Tide's defense trouble with his legs. At the end of the day I can see Auburn and their defensive pass rush stalliing an Alabama offense that has been on a downward struggle lately and making big plays early in the game to get Alabama on the ropes. I do think that Alabama's overall playmaking ability will give them the edge late and put Auburn out of reach of a bowl game.
Rory Garvin, Sports Reporter: Alabama 27-20
The stakes could not be higher for the 90th rendition of the Iron Bowl. With a win, the Crimson Tide will, in all likelihood, clinch their ninth College Football Playoff appearance, and with a loss, they will likely be eliminated.
Jordan-Hare Stadium will be rocking under the lights, but in the end, talent will prevail. Auburn and D.J. Durkin's defense will do enough to keep the Tigers in the game but ultimately, projected first-round draft pick Ty Simpson will have his legacy moment late in the game, earning Alabama’s sixth straight win in the Iron Bowl.
Sarah Sewall, Sports Writer: Auburn 21-17
I see this year’s Iron Bowl, the 90ᵗʰ meeting between Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, shaping up as another classic. Even with statistics pointing toward Alabama as the favorite, I think history and home-field energy make this anything but a foregone conclusion.
Playing at Jordan‑Hare Stadium gives Auburn a key advantage as the Tigers have won 10 of the 17 Iron Bowls held there. I expect Auburn’s defense to come ready, because if they can disrupt Alabama Quarterback Ty Simpson and their supporting offense, early pressure and physicality could tilt momentum. Offensively, Auburn’s short-passing game and rhythm plays can create early problems for Alabama’s defense, especially if the Tigers mix in some tight-end or quick-slot looks to keep things unpredictable. If Auburn finds their rhythm, it could force costly turnovers, which is exactly the kind of swings you need to steal a rivalry game.
At the end of the day, I believe Auburn pulls this one out. I’m picking the Tigers to win, not because it will be easy, but because a few big stops, timely turnovers, and that home-crowd roar under the lights at Jordan-Hare could be enough to send Bama home and give Auburn a signature season-ender.
Samantha Sutton: Sports Writer: Auburn 23-21
Logic would dictate that a 9-2 Alabama team, playing for a spot in the SEC Championship game as well as an appearance in the College Football Playoff, should have no issue with a six-loss Auburn team that recently fired its head coach in early November.
Logic also says that the better team almost always wins the Iron Bowl. In fact, the higher-ranked team is 47-12 in the Iron Bowl since 1955 when the AP poll began.
But something feels different in the air on the Plains the last few weeks. For a fanbase that has had very little to cheer about since 2017, there is definitely optimism coming from the Tigers’ fanbase as the game approaches.
I think that if Auburn’s offense carries over its rhythm from the last two games and its defense returns to its early-season form, there is a significant chance the Tigers will pull out with a victory in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night.
The Tigers smell blood in the water as it pertains to their in-state rival, and Kalen Deboer has struggled with games he “should’ win. The Alabama offense has been trending downward since mid-season, and Alabama’s inability to run the football has cost them in recent CFP rankings.
Additionally, Alabama’s placekicker Conor Talty, has a 61% fg percentage on the year, going 0-2 in his last two games for the Tide.
These factors, paired with Auburn’s notorious in-game atmosphere– especially with it being the first night game since 2007– lead me to believe that although the stats may not be in Auburn’s favor, you cannot count them out.
Jonathan Wallin, Sports Writer: Alabama 37-34
I believe the Tigers will have the offensive firepower to make this a great close game. But I also think that Auburn's struggle in clutch situations will come to light once again in the Iron Bowl. I think a last second field goal will be the deciding factor in this rivalry.
Braden Hensley, Sports Writer: Auburn 31-27
While it may seem a bit delusional to pick a 5-6 team with only a single conference win over a team on the verge of a conference championship and College Football Playoff berth, I don't believe this matchup should be looked at quite so cut-and-dry. The Iron Bowl has always been a reasonably competitive rivalry, being 51-37-1 in Alabama's favor all time. This includes a number of upsets, however, most recently in 2019 when the No. 16 Tigers beat out the No. 5 Crimson Tide in a 48-45 shootout.
Auburn's offense is a far cry from its three point performance against Kentucky in their last home conference night game, putting up 100 points between their last two matchups, and Alabama will surely struggle in Jordan-Hare stadium's night environment. Despite being in the midst of a season where all Auburn has left to fight for is a bowl game and a rivalry win, Auburn will be fighting for pride on Saturday night, and I expect that to count for something.
The Iron Bowl has also been notorious for crazy results, such as the "Camback" in 2010, the "Gravedigger" in 2023, and most notable and beloved by Auburn fans of all, the "Kick Six" of 2013. In a season in which Auburn has fired their head coach midseason, has been bouncing between different quarterbacks for the past month, and has gone 0-5 in one-score conference matchups, they will need something miraculous. But with Alabama having won the last five Iron Bowls and with there being such parity in the two teams' situations, the Tigers are due for a miracle.
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