"Not so fast": Nick Saban jumps to Alabama's defense as Lee Corso writes off his former team ahead of Auburn game
Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban disagreed with College GameDay co-analyst Lee Corso, who sided with the Auburn Tigers ahead of the Week 14 "Iron Bowl" on Saturday evening at Bryant Denny Stadium. While the 13th-ranked Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) needs to win if it wants its playoff ticket, Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC) would like to secure its sixth win to become bowl-eligible.
"Last week, Auburn was hot, and Alabama is not," Corso said (4:15). "The big thing is Auburn is looking for a big upset, and they can get it if Payton Thorne plays a great game. But here’s another point: Coach Freeze has beaten Alabama two times in his career, which is pretty rare. Not many people can say that.
"I think it’s a big upset to watch this week: Auburn against Alabama."
While Corso indirectly sided with the Tigers to win, Nick Saban, who coached for 17 years in Tuscaloosa, was quick to stop the veteran analyst with a subtle reaction:
"Not so fast. Adversity causes some to break and some to be great and that's Alabama's challenge today." (4:44)
Nick Saban highlights importance of Alabama vs. Auburn Iron Bowl game
One of the most revered College Football rivalries, especially in the Southeastern Conference, is between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers. The rivalry dates back to 1893, with 88 games and the Crimson Tide leading the overall series 50-37-1.
The last time the teams met was in Nov. 2023, when Nick Saban's Alabama edged out Auburn in a 27-24 thriller.
Ahead of the game in Tuscaloosa, Saban spoke highly of the rivalry and mentioned how important this game is in the state of Alabama:
"I think Coach DeBoer has a huge job ahead of him in terms of getting his players ready to play this game. You know, they had College Football playoff aspirations, and now that’s maybe not the case. But this game is really important to the people in the state of Alabama.
"When you’re born in Alabama, you have a birthright—you’re either going to be for Alabama or you’re going to be for Auburn. You grow up that way with great passion. So, this is a big game to a lot of people, and it’s a big game for the players." (1:02)
It remains to be seen whether first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, who succeeded Nick Saban, can lead his boys to victory while maintaining their playoff hopes alive.