If Auburn can win the Iron Bowl this weekend, the Tigers would become bowl eligible. That's nice. They would also snap a five-game skid against the arch rivals. That would be appreciated. But more than anything, Auburn would ruin Alabama's season and likely knock the Tide from the 12-team playoff bracket. And that's the best motivation.
When it comes to rivalry games like Saturday, as much fun as it is to win them, it's more fun to watch your rival deal with the agonizing loss. And that's the motivation that Barstool personality Brandon Walker believes will fuel the Tigers to an upset.
"Of all these rivalry games, the Iron Bowl gives me the tickle the most. Alabama is a soft football team. They are going on the road to a desperate, mad, angry Auburn," Walker said.
Tigers have been just one play away
The past two games at Auburn have come down to a single play. The disappointment in 2021 which needed four overtimes to finish and then the 4th-and-31 heartbreaker in 2023. In both games the Tigers led late and just couldn't finish.
No one on the roster knows what it feels like to beat Alabama, so in a season that's been full of disappointments and missed opportunities, this is an opportunity to erase all of those memories and prepare for a fresh start with new leadership.
And send the Crimson Tide home as losers. With no playoff to prepare for and possibly no coach.
Does the Deuce have the juice?
Now that Deuce Knight is getting a legitimate chance to run the offense, Auburn looks like a rejuvenated squad. Forget what DJ Durkin said about watching the film and evaluating all positions. He saw what the rest of us saw this past Saturday and there's no reason to turn back now.
We all know that Alabama struggles with a mobile quarterback and there's a good bet that Knight's 162 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Mercer last week has those Crimson Tide coaches sweating while making a game plan to stop him. It's just one more reason to believe that there's an upset brewing in the Plains. Don't put those playoff tickets on sale yet, Alabama.