How does former Alabama football coach Nick Saban really feel about Jordan-Hare Stadium, the home of the Auburn Tigers?
During an appearance on “College GameDay,” which is in Columbus for the top five showdown between the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, Saban let his feelings known during a segment discussing the importance of teams not overlooking opponents a week before their end-of-season rivalry games.
One of those teams was Texas A&M, which faces in-state rival Texas for the first time since 2011 next week. But first, the Aggies have to survive a trip to the Plains to beat Auburn.
As Saban knows, that’s never a guarantee. This is what he said of “The Loveliest Village on the Plains” on College GameDay.
“I would be alerting Texas A&M because in my opinion, in 17 years of going to Auburn, playing in Jordan-Hare, that place is HAUNTED! It really is. The way we lost games, and the way we won games there, it’s unbelievable. ‘Kick Six’ and then ‘The Gravedigger’ last year, I mean, I’m telling you, the place is haunted.”
Few Alabama fans or former Crimson Tide players would disagree with Saban, who compiled a 5-4 record at Jordan-Hare during his 17 seasons as Alabama’s coach from 2007-2023.
The Tide needed improbable come-from-behind victories to sneak past Auburn in both 2021 and 2023, including the 4th-and-31 Jalen Milroe to Isaiah Bond touchdown play (“Gravedigger”) last year.
This year’s Iron Bowl showdown against Auburn is at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff for the game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT next Saturday and will be televised on ABC.