AUBURN | Each week the AuburnSports.com staff and friends make their predictions on Auburn, the SEC and top college football games from around the country.
WHAT THEY THINK
Hunter Adams (52-18), your momma’s favorite football coach.
Alabama 38-23
Jeffrey Lee (52-18), three-time defending champ. Supper Club legend.
Alabama 45-20
Nick Saban won't be there. Unfortunately for Auburn, it won't matter. Alabama is just too good on offense and Auburn won't be able to keep up with them.
Dan Peck (49-21), the other guy from The Drive and film noir aficionado.
Alabama 45-31
Auburn’s best hope is that the defense can keep Najee Harris in check while consistently pressuring Mack Jones into making mistakes. Unfortunately, there might not be a defense in college football that can do one of those things, let alone both. Without Tank, there’s virtually no margin for error for the Auburn offense, especially with two new tackles. Bo and co. will need to be better than good to pull off an upset over this Alabama team. If Auburn can hang around late, their recent experience in close games might pay dividends; it’s just so hard to hang around late against a team as good as Alabama.
Jay G. Tate (47-23), the calves of an olympic bodybuilder with frosty tips on top.
Alabama, 35-17
There is a way for Auburn to win this game, but that scenario requires a lot of odd things to happen during the span of a single football game. Auburn must coax at least three takeaways, must be excellent defensively on third down, must get a career days from Bo Nix, Anthony Schwartz, D.J. Williams, the entire offensive line, Tyrone Truesdell, Daquan Newkirk, Derick Hall and at least one linebacker. It can happen, sure. The chances are remote. One thing I can't shake: Kevin Steele both respects Nick Saban and really, really, really dislikes losing to Nick Saban's team. I realize Saban won't be there today, but the sentiment is the same. Steele won't take anything lying down.
WHAT THEY THINK (continued)
Bill Cameron (46-24), Auburn radio institution and still groovin’ to the 70’s.
Alabama 45-23
The Tide offense simply has too many weapons for the Tigers. I think the Tigers will hit some plays and hang around for a half or so, but eventually the dam will break.
Bryan Matthews (46-24), neighborhood walker, coffee drinker and Liverpool obsessed.
Alabama 27-10
I know everybody is expecting a high-scoring game, which is why I'm picking the opposite. I expect Auburn's defense to play over their heads but I don't think the Tigers will have close to enough offense to keep up. This will look somewhat like the Georgia game with AU showing more fight.
Christian Clemente (46-24), Montana native who just discovered nana puddin.
Alabama 31-20
I do think Auburn covers the spread in this year’s matchup and the news about Nick Saban testing positive for COVID-19 has me moving the game a little closer to Auburn, but not enough for the Tigers to go into Tuscaloosa and knock off the Tide. I think Auburn’s secondary can limit Devonta Smith and Mac Jones in the passing game, but they can’t limit both the passing game and Najee Harris. Offensively, the potential loss of Tank Bigsby, Brodarious Hamm and Alec Jackson (who are questionable at the time of writing this) is too much to overcome with an offense that I already don’t think can go toe-to-toe with Alabama’s offense.
Mr. Quarter (39-31), likes to drive trucks and hate Auburn.
Alabama 55-0
Nick Saban could coach this game from Mars with a 30-minute communication delay and still clobber Auburn. Alabama is the most talented team in the country and the Tigers are just a bunch of wannabe's. The Tide gets revenge for AU's cheating win last year.
