Auburn vs. Alabama: 2014 Iron Bowl TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time
The focal point of the Iron Bowl hinges around last year's shocking final moments, but it should be on an Auburn team with nothing to lose and an Alabama team on the hunt for revenge and placement in the College Football Playoff.
Chris Davis single-handedly took things into his own hands last year, which makes this year's rematch in Tuscaloosa the most-anticipated game of the year.
At 8-3, Auburn is not riding the wave of momentum most would have figured going into a game that has seen each of its past five winners play for the national championship. Alabama has not lost since early October, suggesting that two teams headed in different directions will birth a predictable outcome.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
If only it were that easy.
Dual Threats
Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall knows what it takes to upend the Crimson Tide.
Marshall is an elite dual-threat quarterback under center, the exact thing that tends to give Nick Saban-directed defenses fits. This year the senior has 1,859 yards and 15 scores through the air, with another 731 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Last year he accounted for three total scores in the victory. As Bleacher Report's Marc Torrence captures, Saban is well aware that the versatility of Gus Malzahn's offense means his unit needs to play assignment-based football just about perfectly Saturday:
What makes Marshall even more dangerous is the fact senior back Cameron Artis-Payne (1,405 yards, 11 touchdowns) could break free at any moment for a big gain, too.
But just as Marshall can hurt the Crimson Tide in a number of ways, so too can Blake Sims damage the Tigers.
Saturday is Blake Sims' first foray into the historic rivalry, but as his 2,676 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air and 279 yards and five scores on the ground display, the senior can and will keep the Tigers honest.
"The quarterback doesn't carry it a whole lot, but when he does he's a threat to go the whole way," Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "He's big and fast. He can get the ball outside, whereas that was a play you didn't really worry about (in the past)."
Alabama has averaged 35.0 points per game behind the arms and legs of Sims this season, but the unit has come back down to Earth against top-tier SEC opposition. Sims and Co. did not score more than 25 points in matchups with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU.
With that in mind, Marshall wants this to be a track meet. Whether he gets it may very well be up to his shaky defense.
Halting the Regression
Through the first five games of the season, a strong defense was one of the main reasons many were ready to consider the Tigers serious threats for the CFP.
Then it all fell apart.
The Tigers have allowed a minimum of 31 points in each of their last five SEC games, three of which have wound up as losses. So while many will point out that the team ranks second in red-zone defense in the conference, it means little in the grand scheme of things.
Especially against this Alabama offense that is so much more than just Sims. Backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry both average better than 5.0 yards per carry. Wideout Amari Cooper might just take home the Heisman and has 1,349 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.
As James Crepea of The Montgomery Advertiser captures, Auburn is well aware of the challenge ahead:
The last time Auburn faced a run-first attack akin to Alabama's, it allowed 289 rushing yards and three scores on the ground in a 34-7 loss to Georgia just two games ago.
If there is not a dramatic turnaround, this one may get ugly on the road.
When: Saturday, November 29, 7:45 p.m. ET
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Television: ESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 54
- Spread: Alabama (-9.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Gage Batten | FB | 08/31/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Jordan Diamond | G | 09/26/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | undisclosed |
| Alex Kozan | G | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | back |
| DaVonte Lambert | DE | 11/24/2014 | is doubtful for Saturday's game against Alabama | Doubtful | leg |
| Carl Lawson | DE | 07/15/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Jeffrey Whitaker | DT | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Alabama | Questionable | back |
| D'haquille Williams | WR | 11/26/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Alabama | Probable | leg |
| Patrick Young | FB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Ronnie Clark | DB | 10/16/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | Achilles |
| Amari Cooper | WR | 11/23/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | knee |
| Denzel Devall | TE | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | ankle |
| Kenyan Drake | RB | 10/05/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | ankle |
| Malcolm Faciane | TE | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | leg |
| Robert Foster | WR | 11/24/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | undisclosed |
| Reuben Foster | LB | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | shoulder |
| Jalston Fowler | FB | 11/23/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | shoulder |
| Kurt Freitag | TE | 08/28/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | toe |
| Adam Griffith | K | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | hip |
| Anthony Orr | TE | 11/24/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | undisclosed |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | 11/23/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Questionable | leg |
| Cam Robinson | T | 11/24/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | ankle |
| Cam Robinson | T | 11/24/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | ankle |
| ArDarius Stewart | WR | 11/23/2014 | is doubtful for Saturday's game against Auburn | Doubtful | knee |
| Brian Vogler | TE | 11/23/2014 | is doubtful for Saturday's game against Auburn | Doubtful | knee |
| DeAndrew White | WR | 11/24/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | hamstring |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | 11/23/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Auburn | Probable | ankle |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
At this very moment, Alabama is just too good.
The Crimson Tide have grown up before the eyes of the globe as this season has progressed. Meanwhile, Auburn has swung in the other direction mostly thanks to a defense that simply cannot hold up in the face of top-tier opposition.
Malzahn's offense will give the Crimson Tide plenty of problems, but that being a deciding factor hinges on the defense actually getting enough meaningful stops.
Against this Crimson Tide team, another miracle is a must for Auburn on the road.
Prediction: Crimson Tide 28, Tigers 24
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
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