The most anticipated game of the regular season is here and coach Nate Oats isn’t resting easy. Nation’s top 2 teams, one favored by the USA Today Sports Coaches poll and the other by AP, meet for the Iron Bowl of Basketball at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday. That’s going to be one decider of a game, but two of the Crimson Tides have their head coach on the edge.

Some games are about skill. Some are about grit. And then there are those that come down to one simple truth: who makes fewer mistakes? The Crimson Tide can shoot, they can run, and they can score. But if they want to take down Bruce Pearl’s Auburn, they must first stop beating themselves.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats was blunt about the problem. After a recent game, he made it clear that careless turnovers could be the team’s downfall. “We need Mark Sears and Grant Nelson to stop turning the ball over. That’s what needs to happen,” Oats said according to a post on X.

He elaborated further in a press conference: “We got two 5th-year seniors that have played in over 100 basketball games that know how to take care of the ball, that have not taken care of the ball at the level we need them to. That’s basically what needs to happen. Cuz if you look at the turnover rates between those two guys, they’re just way too high. We gotta quit trying to make home run plays. We’ve gotta quit overdriving gaps that aren’t there. We’ve gotta get the ball out of our hands earlier.”

The numbers back up Oats’ frustration. In their last game against Texas—a dominant 103-80 win—Alabama still turned the ball over 17 times. Sears and Nelson were responsible for five of those. Against Auburn, that kind of carelessness won’t fly. The Tigers thrive on defensive pressure, ranking sixth in turnovers forced per game. If Alabama gifts them extra possessions, Pearl’s squad will capitalize, just like they did in their last meeting—a 99-81 Auburn victory on February 7, 2024.

Turnovers & defense: Alabama’s keys to beating Bruce Pearl’s tigers

Historically, the rivalry has been tightly contested, but Auburn has had the edge in recent years. They’ve won six of the last ten matchups, including three of the last four. Alabama did pull off a gritty 79-75 win at home on January 24, but even in that game, turnovers nearly cost them. Auburn’s defense will test Alabama’s patience, and if the Tide wants to reverse the trend, Sears and Nelson must play smarter.

Beyond turnovers, Alabama must address their defensive inconsistencies. Auburn isn’t just a defensive juggernaut—they can score in bunches. The Tigers rank 23rd in field goal percentage (48.6%) and 44th in three-point shooting (37.2%). In their last win over Alabama, they shot a blistering 57% from the field. If Alabama can’t disrupt Auburn’s rhythm, it won’t matter how many points they put on the board.

The good news? The Crimson Tide has one of the most explosive offenses in the country, averaging 84.8 points per game—eighth in the nation. But that firepower is meaningless if they can’t control the game’s pace. Auburn forces teams into bad decisions, ranking 23rd in steals and 63rd in blocks per game. Alabama must take smarter shots, move the ball efficiently, and most importantly, avoid unforced errors.

For Oats, the formula is clear. Take care of the ball. Play disciplined defense. Dethroning Bruce Pearl’s Auburn won’t be easy, but Alabama has the talent to do it. The question is: can they get out of their own way?

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