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USA TODAY Sports experts reveal predictions for Saturday’s Iron Bowl

Saturday’s game between Auburn and No. 13 Alabama is a ‘must-win’ for each team. USA TODAY Sports experts forecast the winner.

Saturday’s Iron Bowl between Auburn and No. 13 Alabama is a must-win game for each team.

For the home-standing Crimson Tide, a win boosts its chances of earning a seat at the College Football Playoff table. On the other side, Auburn needs a victory to claim bowl eligibility and to run its winning streak to three games.

Which side will emerge victorious? The experts at USA TODAY Sports have submitted their predictions for every top-25 contest throughout “rivalry week,” including this Saturday’s Iron Bowl. The panel of Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus, and Dan Wolken have made their picks for the game. As expected, all six experts have Alabama winning its fifth-straight Iron Bowl.

Not only will Saturday’s game be crucial to both team’s successes, but both teams also enter the game on opposite ends of momentum. The Tigers have won two-straight games including last Saturday’s four-overtime thriller over then-No. 14 Texas A&M. A win over Alabama would allow Auburn to carry momentum into next week’s early signing day as well as bowl season.

Alabama has lost three games in the regular season for the first time since 2010 and is looking to avoid its first four-or-more loss season since 2007. The Crimson Tide is down on its luck after losing to unranked Oklahoma on the road last Saturday, 24-3, and wants to hop back into the win column by gaining a win over its bitter rival.

The 89th Iron Bowl will take place Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Watch the game live on ABC.

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USA TODAY Sports experts predict Alabama-Auburn winner in huge Iron Bowl showdown

Here’s who USA TODAY Sports experts think will win the 2024 Iron Bowl.

It’s officially Iron Bowl Eve. The 2024 edition of Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Auburn Tigers features many storylines.

For Alabama (8-3 overall, 4-3 SEC), they’re hoping a once-promising season that saw them ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll after their thrilling 41-34 win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28 doesn’t end in outright disaster under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer.

For Auburn (5-6, 2-5), the Tigers are in search of their first Iron Bowl win since 2019, and their first win in Tuscaloosa since 2010 when Cam Newton led an incredible 28-27 comeback after being down 24-0. More than that, Auburn can crush whatever faint hopes the Crimson Tide have of sneaking into the College Football Playoff.

As it stands, Alabama fell six spots to No. 13 in this week’s CFP rankings after an abysmal showing in a 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 13. Jalen Milroe was picked off three times, and the Crimson Tide failed to score a touchdown in a game for the first time since 2011. Alabama now needs a win over Auburn, plus some major help in the form of Top 25 upsets to reach the playoffs.

The Tigers scored their first upset of the year with a 43-41 4OT win over the Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn quarterback Peyton Thorne threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns, and senior tailback Jarquez Hunter rushed for three scores and 130 yards on 28 carries in the upset win over A&M.

On Wednesday, USA TODAY Sports’ college football experts released their predictions for every Top 25 team in Week 14, including Alabama. All six members of USA TODAY’s panel — Paul Myerberg, Dan Wolken, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith — picked the Crimson Tide to beat Auburn.

Elsewhere, ESPN Analytics’ Matchup Predictor gives Alabama an 87.6 percent chance to beat Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Kickoff for Alabama vs. Auburn is set for 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy will have the call of the game for ABC, which is televising its first Iron Bowl since 1994.

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ESPN predicts the winner of Saturday’s Iron Bowl

Will Auburn pull off the upset of No. 13 Alabama on the road?

Auburn football needs one win to earn bowl eligibility, and its final chance to accomplish that dream is Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

Auburn’s annual Iron Bowl date with No. 13 Alabama is this Saturday, and the Tigers would love nothing more than to beat their bitter rivals to earn its sixth win of the season while simultaneously ending the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes.

Will the Tigers get it done? ESPN’s early assessment does not align with Auburn’s goal. According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has just a 12.3% chance to beat Alabama on Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama ranks No. 4 in the latest ESPN football power index while Auburn checks in at No. 29. ESPN data shows that Alabama is a top-12 team in both offensive and defensive efficiency while Auburn’s best quality is defensive efficiency, which ranks No. 33 nationally. Auburn has momentum after winning its last two games, but will need to beat the numbers, as well as the Bryant-Denny crowd, to escape Tuscaloosa with a win.

Auburn football battles Alabama on Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ABC.

Auburn vs Alabama injury report: Latest updates, news for Iron Bowl

All the latest updates and news on Auburn’s injury report ahead of the Iron Bowl game vs. Alabama.

The initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report ahead of rivalry week in the conference has been released.

Auburn’s report is fairly standard, as four of the six players listed have been diagnosed with season-ending injuries. This week, Kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] returns to the list and has been ruled out for Saturday’s game at No. 13 Alabama. Tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather,[/autotag] listed as a “game-time decision” for Auburn’s last game vs. Texas A&M, is listed as “questionable” in Wednesday’s report.

For Alabama, one key addition was made. Linebacker Deontae Lawson suffered a season-ending injury in the Crimson Tide’s game at Oklahoma last Saturday night. According to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, Lawson underwent surgery on Tuesday.

Here is a look at the initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report released Wednesday ahead of the 89th playing of the Iron Bowl.

Auburn football injury report

LB Jamonta Waller (Out)
DB Tyler Scott (Out)
DB Champ Anthony (Out)
K Alex McPherson (Out)
TE Brandon Frazier (Out)
TE Rivaldo Fairweather (Questionable)

Alabama football injury report

LB Deontae Lawson (Out)
DB Keon Sabb (Out)
WR Cole Adams (Out)
LB Quandarrius Robinson (Out)

Rivaldo Fairweather injury update

Fairweather status was listed as a “game time decision” ahead of last Saturday’s game vs. Texas A&M. However, he ended up starting at tight end in the game and played 60 snaps, his personal second-highest snap total of the season. However, he returns to the availability report this week and is listed “questionable” for Saturday’s game at Alabama. Fairweather’s injury remains unknown at this time, but it will be an important development to follow in the days leading up to Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

Auburn jumps one spot in SEC Power Poll following win over Texas A&M

Auburn gained ground in Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread’s weeky power rankings after stunning Texas A&M last Saturday.

The Auburn Tigers earned their fifth, and most impressive, victory of the season last Saturday night under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad took down the College Football Playoff hopeful Texas A&M Aggies in four overtimes, now giving themselves a chance to earn a postseason bowl game with a win over Alabama next week.

The win was spectacular and impressive for an Auburn team that has been searching for a statement victory for what has seemed like a decade. Despite the showing, Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread only jumped the Tigers up one spot in his SEC Power Poll. Auburn is now two spots ahead of last place, with No. 15 ranked Kentucky replacing Auburn for the second-to-last place spot. Texas A&M meanwhile dropped just one spot as well, from No. 6 to No. 7, in this week’s poll.

Auburn’s victory may have not jumped the Tigers drastically up Goodbread’s power poll, but a victory over No. 5 ranked Alabama likely will. Other than Alabama, Ole Miss (No. 4), Tennessee (No. 3) , Georgia (No. 2), and Texas (No. 1) make up the top 5. The Tigers are highly unlikely to finish the season anywhere near the top 5, but a win this week and a victory in an eventual bowl game could help Hugh Freeze and company finish in the upper half of the conference.

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On3 expert predicts Auburn will flip three-star lineman from Tennessee

Three-star defensive lineman Derrion Smith called his recent visit to Auburn “one of the best college visits I have had.”

The Auburn Tigers may be flipping another recruit from an SEC rival.

Three-star defensive lineman and Tennessee commit [autotag]Darrion Smith[/autotag] was on the Plains for Auburn’s thrilling win over No. 19 Texas A&M on Saturday, and he described the visit as “one of the best college visits I have had.”

The Baltimore, Maryland native went on the describe the atmosphere within Jordan-Hare stadium during the Tigers four overtime victory in a recent interview with On3.

“The game, I don’t even know what type of words to put it in,” Smith said. “It was a thriller. It was definitely the craziest game I have been to so far.”

A consensus top 12 prospect from the state of Maryland, Smith committed to the Tennessee Volunteers in July of this year. That hasn’t stopped the high school senior from touring campuses across the country, and On3 expert Cole Pinkston felt confident enough after Smith’s latest visit to predict a flip to Auburn with “60 percent confidence.”

While Smith won’t make his official decision until early December, the Tigers seem like the likely favorite after last weekend, especially after the love the three-star recruit received from the Auburn family.

“The family, how close everybody is. Not even just the coaches, but the town,” said Smith. “People were just coming up to me. It’s different. I’ve never had that before. It’s definitely very family oriented.”

If Auburn can flip the talented pass-rusher, Hugh Freeze and his staff would improve on what already is a top-five recruiting class in the nation. With plenty of other recruits up in the air, it is feasible the Tigers could end the signing period with one of their best recruiting classes in program history.

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Where will this year’s Iron Bowl be played?

The Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide will meet for the 89th time on Saturday. Which program gets to host the game?

Auburn football will meet up with No. 13 Alabama on Saturday for the 89th playing of the Iron Bowl. Where will the game be played?

The 2024 edition of the Iron Bowl will be played at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on ABC and also streamed on ESPN+.

Saturday’s game will be just the 13th time that Auburn and Alabama have played the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa, with the Crimson Tide holding a 7-5 record over the Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Auburn won the first-ever Iron Bowl played in Tuscaloosa, 9-0, on Nov. 18, 2000, and went on to win the next three Iron Bowl’s in Tuscaloosa in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

History shifted towards Alabama in 2008 when the Crimson Tide won the Iron Bowl, 36-0, over Auburn in Nick Saban’s first season. Since then, Auburn has won just one game over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the 2010 game known affectionately as “the Cam-Back” after the Tigers erased a 24-0 2nd quarter deficit to win 28-27 behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback [autotag]Cam Newton[/autotag].

Saturday, Auburn will look to win its first Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa since the memorable game in 2010, and hopes to erase a four-game losing skid to the Crimson Tide. For Alabama, they look to win its first Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa without Nick Saban as the program’s head coach.

Auburn faces Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

How Auburn’s upset win over Texas A&M affects its place in the USA TODAY Sports re-rank

How much did Auburn impress USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg with its thrilling win over Texas A&M?

Auburn football earned one of the most popular wins of week 13 by defeating then-No. 14 Texas A&M last Saturday, 43-41, in four overtimes.

Due to Auburn’s 5-6 record, the win over a top-15 team did not push the Tigers into the top-25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll or the AP poll this week. However, Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports has put a gauge on how special the win was in his weekly “college football re-rank” feature.

Following the win, Auburn rose 15 spots in Myerberg’s weekly re-rank, jumping from No. 92 to No. 77 ahead of this week’s Iron Bowl. Auburn made the second-largest jump of the week, trailing Kansas’ 22-spot jump to No. 46 after its upset win over Colorado at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri last Saturday. Outside of Auburn and Kansas, Nebraska and Jax State also advanced at least ten places in this week’s ranking.

The loss to Auburn sent Texas A&M down seven spots to No. 20. This week’s opponent, Alabama, also suffered a hit in the re-rank following its loss to unranked Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide now sits at No. 12 this week, five spots behind its previous week’s ranking.

Auburn will square off with Alabama on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcasted live on ABC.

Five-star DL Malik Autry shuts down recruitment

Malik Autry is one of Auburn’s top commits for the 2025 cycle. How strong is his commitment to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers?

The drama surrounding college football recruiting is about to heat up ahead of the early signing period, which begins next week.

How many of Auburn’s 27 commits will fulfill their pledges? How many more will join? Those questions will fill every Auburn fan’s mind until the period ends on Friday, Dec. 6. However, one of Auburn’s top commits has chosen to ease the minds of Auburn fans and coaches by shutting down his recruitment and will with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s program next week.

[autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], a five-star defensive lineman from nearby Opelika High School, announced Monday that he is shutting down his recruitment and will sign with Auburn next Wednesday. When asked about his decision to focus solely on Auburn, he reflected on his time as an Opelika Bulldog and compared it to the progression of Auburn’s current state.

“Going to all the other schools made me realize what I really wanted,” Autry said in an interview with Auburn Undercover ($). “My high school, my sophomore year we went 5-5, my junior year we went 4-6 and this past year we went 9-3 with a second round exit but just to see our team turnaround really shows me that — I had opportunities to go play for Central-Phenix City and IMG and all those big-time programs — but to stick it out and fight with your brothers and fight for a place you really love does mean more than just joining something that’s already established. That’s kind of been my mindset and helped me narrow down my decision and let me know that Auburn was home.”

Autry’s shutdown is a great sign for what’s to come for Auburn ahead of early signing day. Several 247Sports recruiting analysts recently forecasted a flip to Ole Miss by top commits [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. However, forecasts from several sites including Steve Wiltfong of On3 suggest that Alabama’s top recruit for the 2025 cycle, [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], could flip to Auburn from Ohio State.

Recruiting will be a hot topic over the next week, so having Autry’s firm commitment is a sigh of relief for Auburn fans everywhere.

Cam Coleman named top freshman standout in week 13 by On3

Coleman edged out Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and Georgia Tech signal-caller Aaron Philo for the top spot on Power’s rankings

Auburn freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman has had himself quite the couple of weeks on the Plains. After catching a trio of touchdowns in the Tigers blowout victory over UL Monroe in mid-November, the former five-star erupted for his best performance against No. 14 ranked Texas A&M on Saturday.

The 18-year-old hauled in 7 receptions for 128 yards in Auburn’s 43-41 victory over the Aggies, securing another pair of touchdowns in the first half to help propel the Tigers to their best offensive night of the season. Coleman’s performance not only earned him the admiration of the Auburn family during a field storm after the fourth overtime, but an SEC Freshman of the Week accolade as well. The former five-star recruit was also named as the top ranked freshman standout by On3 expert Charles Power in his week 13 rankings.

Coleman edged out Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and Georgia Tech signal-caller Aaron Philo for the top spot on Power’s rankings. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons (4), Oklahoma cornerback Eli Bowen (5), and Georgia running back Nate Frazier (7) were the only other SEC first-year players on the list.

The Phenix City, AL native’s two massive weeks now have him in position to etch himself in Auburn history forever. Coleman now has 30 receptions, 520 yards, and 7 touchdowns through nine games in his freshman campaign. If the former top 10 prospect can score again against Alabama, or in a possible bowl game, he would be alone at the top of the list for most touchdowns by an Auburn freshman receiver in the program’s long-running history. Coleman is also just under 100 yards away from becoming the all-time leader for receiving yards by an Auburn freshman.

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