Saturday night will bring to fruition the moment Auburn and Alabama fans alike have been waiting for all season long: the 90th annual Iron Bowl.
The Iron Bowl, being one of, if not the most celebrated rivalry in all of collegiate football, is played every season during rivalry weekend between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and this season's iteration, much to the dismay of many Alabama fans, will be played under the lights in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time since 2007. The Iron Bowl has been known for several miraculous endings benefiting both teams, such as the "Camback" in 2010, the "Milroe Miracle," also sometimes simply regarded as "4th and 31" in 2023, and most notably, the "Kick Six" in 2013.
This season, the Iron Bowl certainly has interesting and somewhat unexpected implications. Following a home loss to Oklahoma two weeks ago, the No. 10-ranked Tide is in a must-win scenario not only for the SEC championship, but for the College Football Playoff as a whole. Auburn, on the other hand, will be fighting for bowl eligibility, and interim head coach and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will be seeking a resume booster in the midst of Auburn's job search. While Alabama has more on the line from a national standpoint, there is no Alabama or Auburn fan in the world who would tell you that this game has no true meaning for Auburn. In a season where Auburn has gone 1-6 in conference games without a single conference win at home, as well as the fact that Auburn lost its head coach during this season, there is certainly a lot of pent-up frustration for Auburn heading into this match that they would love to take out on their greatest rival.
Auburn is looking noticeably different in recent weeks following the firing of former head coach Hugh Freeze, most notably on offense. In quarterback Ashton Daniels' first start as well as Durkin's first showing as head coach, Auburn's offense put up 38 points, their most since their matchup with Arkansas a couple of weeks prior, and also marked the best performance by an Auburn quarterback up to that point in the season, with Daniels going 31-44 for 353 yards and two touchdowns.
Additionally, the Tigers are coming off a 62-point performance at home last week against Mercer in which true freshman quarterback Deuce Knight got his first collegiate start. Knight's performance was stellar, to put it lightly. Going for 239 yards and two touchdowns through the air, as well as rushing for 162 yards and four touchdowns, Knight's emergence has sparked life into Auburn fans and has given them hope for his future, whether that be getting playing time against the Tide or in future seasons. Regardless, Auburn's offense will be something to watch closely during this matchup.
The Tide has had a rather impressive season, bouncing back from a week one loss to unranked Florida State and proceeding to go on an eight-game win streak, including victories against teams such as currently ranked No. 4 Georgia and No. 19 Tennessee. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has been on a Heisman campaign this season as well, having 2,934 yards and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Alabama has won the last five Iron Bowls in a row, including two in Jordan-Hare Stadium. It will no doubt be an intense and high-stakes affair, and one that Auburn and Alabama fans both will be passionate and loud for Saturday night.
The Auburn Tigers will face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 6:30 PM CST at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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Braden is a freshman majoring in Aviation Management. He started with the Plainsman in fall 2025.
