In his regular Monday press conference, Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke about the different feeling surrounding the Iron Bowl game against Auburn.
“When you play in big games like this, that have a lot of meaning to a lot of people, you don’t compare it to anything,” Saban said. “You just know that there’s a special level of intensity that goes with playing in a game like this.
“Both sides are going to have it, and that’s what makes it a great football game.”
The storyline is different this year as Auburn’s season has taken a turn for the worse with consecutive losses against Texas A&M and Georgia before beating Samford over the weekend. But the Tigers can still ruin Alabama’s hopes at a national title in the game that Saban called one of the greatest rivalries in college football.
Alabama opened as a seven-point favorite over the Tigers, but that line has moved to 9.5 already. It’s still not as large as the 10-point point advantage Alabama had before last season’s game, but maybe the ending of last year’s game has sports oddsmakers a bit nervous.
Saban talked about last season’s game, and wasn’t sure if he would show his players the video of it as motivation.
“We all kinda remember what happened,” Saban said. “I think that it was very, very disappointing to all of us here. Not just the last play, but the last five minutes of the game that we never really ever finished the game like we needed to.
“It was a tough way to lose a game and I’m sure that everybody sort of has that in mind.”
Other than previewing the Auburn game, Saban also updated the team’s injury situation after the last game against Western Carolina ended with a half-dozen injured players.
The stretched knee ligament injuries to tight end Brian Vogler and wide receiver ArDarius Stewart will keep them questionable this week, with the decision to play them likely coming at game time. Vogler is a starter for Alabama and is a key blocker at tight end. Saban said backups Brandon Greene and Dakota Ball will help the other starting tight end, O.J. Howard, if Vogler is unable to play.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper, offensive lineman Cam Robinson, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson and the other players injured against the Catamounts will be limited in practice initially, but should return against Auburn.
Saban also said running back T.J. Yeldon was “shut down” for seven days last week in an attempt to ease him back to health. Yeldon has apparently battled injuries for the second half of this season, and is one of Alabama’s most effective players in all facets of his game, according to Saban.
“We’re hopeful that just shutting him down for seven days like we did that it’s going to get him healthier, more ready to practice and be able to be better prepared to play in this game,” Saban said. “That was kind of the plan with the way we managed him last week and we’ll see how it works out.”
