Nick Saban Says Alabama Practices GW 4th-and-31 Play Every Week; Called Gravedigger

Alabama absolutely stunned the college football world in the Iron Bowl on Saturday night after pulling off a miracle 4th-and-goal touchdown pass from Auburn's 31-yard-line to beat the Tigers, 27-24.

The Crimson Tide went with that specific call for a very good reason.

"That is a play we actually work on but I must admit that you need a little luck," head coach Nick Saban told reporters, noting the team practices the play each Friday.

"If the play had a name, I wouldn't tell you what it was," Saban added, though Isaiah Bond—who caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe and forever etched his name in Alabama lore—was more willing to dispense with that information:

Whether Alabama (11-1) should have needed a last-minute miracle against a 6-6 Auburn team that lost to New Mexico State last week is another matter entirely.

"It's kind of a reality check," Saban told reporters. "That's what I told the team afterwards."

Another question is whether Auburn should have rushed just two players on the decisive play, a decision Hugh Freeze addressed with reporters after the game.

"You can second-guess it," he said. "You have to play with vision. We had nine guys back there. Play with vision, make a play on the ball and knock it down. He felt like he was shoved off, but he couldn't tell."

Rivalry games are a unique beast, and Alabama has had its fair share of memorable moments go against them in the Iron Bowl:

Up next for the Crimson Tide is a team far more talented than Auburn, two-time defending champion Georgia, which coming into Saturday night hadn't lost a game since Alabama beat them on Dec. 4, 2021 in the SEC Championship Game.

Now, two conference powerhouses will face off in that game for the second time in three seasons on Saturday.