Rivalry weekend signifies different things to different factions. Down in the southeast, though, it equates to the time for a storied rivalry writing its latest chapter. The war that is the Iron Bowl is upon us. While this iteration doesn’t quite have the same fervor as some previous editions, it is still just as much pride at stake. Alabama particularly needs a result to salvage a silver lining and potentially more out of a dismal season by their own lofty standards. However, a couple of significant CFB voices believe the despair will not be subdued but in fact multiply on Saturday.

Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit’s weekly backstage video before the GameDay broadcast has become something of an adorable modern tradition. Bama fans, though, won’t feel that way this weekend. Both football savants have picked Auburn to inflict the biggest upset of rivalry weekend.

Lee Corso put it simply “Auburn’s hot, Alabama’s not”. This is a resounding assessment of the Crimson Tide’s predicament. How the mighty have fallen. The post-Saban era was going to have its fair share of tumult. Bama stands on the precipice of missing the first 12-team CFP. That is a hard pill to swallow in itself. But losing the Iron Bowl could accentuate their inconsistency to an unprecedented level. Kalen DeBoer has got to be hoping Corso and Herbstreit have this one wrong.

Auburn is coming into Tuscaloosa off of a strange result. Their win last weekend Texas A&M should on surface level instill confidence. However, the nature of how the game went would be worrisome for Hugh Freeze. Up 21-0 at one stage and still got taken to overtime. Alas, a win against a ranked, fellow-SEC school has to have been a net positive for their quest to conquer enemy territory.

The Iron Bowl presents a golden opportunity for both head coaches to endear themselves to their respective fanbases. Bama has won 4 years in a row. With all the overarching question marks around each coach’s tenure so far, a chance at getting in the proverbial good-books of the fans beckons.  

Lee Corso reiterates his stance in the vicinity of Nick Saban

Lee Corso remained ten toes down about Auburn’s potential upset on the College Game Day broadcast. This was naturally not met with convergence from Nick Saban beside him. Corso laid down his reasoning, which included the fact that Hugh Freeze has 2 wins against Saban’s Alabama under his belt. He believes Auburn QB Payton Thorne will be the key to the operation.

“Not so fast”, said a contentious Saban, generating cheers from the students in the backdrop. “Adversity causes some to break and some to be great. That is Alabama’s challenge today”, he continued. Nick Saban’s words will not fall on deaf ears as they reverberate across to the dressing room. Kalen DeBoer needs this one, and so do the players.

It shall be fascinating to see which version of Bama turns up on the gridiron. The one that looked inept and pedestrian against Oklahoma. Or the one that blew out LSU in their own backyard not too long ago. Alabama are -10.5 point favorites against their fiercest foes.