The Iron Bowl has historically been a rivalry of unexpected outcomes and wild finishes. With Alabama needing a win to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive and Auburn fighting to be bowl eligible, let’s revisit some previous Iron Bowl finishes where these teams met with similar stakes on the line.
2019: Wild finish in Jordan-Hare
Alabama entered the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 10-1 record and ranked No. 5 in the country. A win would help boost the team’s chances of making the College Football Playoff, which at the time had only four teams.
Starter Tua Tagovailoa was injured, so Alabama turned to freshman quarterback Mac Jones. Jones threw two pick sixes, hurting Alabama’s chances to win.
Alabama had a chance to tie the game with two minutes left, but kicker Joseph Bulovas hit the left upright. Auburn iced the game from there, winning 48-45.
2021: Four overtime Thriller
Once again, Alabama went into Jordan-Hare Stadium needing a win to make the playoffs. Auburn, on the other hand, was just bowl eligible at 6-5 under first-year coach Bryan Harsin. Auburn’s starting quarterback, Bo Nix, was out for the season because he broke his ankle against Mississippi State earlier in the year.
Alabama fans’ worst fears came true. Star wide receiver Jameson Williams was ejected for targeting on a punt return. On top of that, Alabama’s first 12 drives included seven punts, three turnovers on downs, one interception and a field goal.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young led a 97-yard drive with 1:35 left and no timeouts to tie the game.This was one of many standout plays that led to Young winning the Heisman that year. Alabama eventually won the game in four overtimes on a two-point conversion to wide receiver John Metchie III.
“I’ll remember this one particularly because of the way the players competed and how great a comeback it was,” Saban said after the game.
2023: 4th-and-31 Miracle
Alabama entered the 2023 Iron Bowl with a 10-1 record and was ranked No. 8 nationally. Auburn was a must-win game for Alabama, and a win over Georgia in the SEC championship was also needed to secure a top-four seed in the CFP.
Up to the end of the third quarter, the game had been normal under Iron Bowl standards, but at the end of the third, all-time leading NCAA scorer Will Reichard missed a field goal, keeping Auburn ahead 21-20.
Alabama was forced to punt the ball back to Auburn down 24-20 with 4:48 left, but Auburn punt returner Koy Moore muffed the punt, setting up Alabama with a chance to take the lead.
Alabama dug itself into a deep hole quickly. With only a 0.1% chance to win, Alabama faced a 4th and 31, needing a touchdown. Quarterback Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the back left of the end zone to take a 27-24 lead.
Alabama was finally on the lucky side of the Jordan-Hare magic and escaped with a win.
“If you’re in this long enough, sometimes it goes against you in the last play of the game, and sometimes it goes fortunate and it goes for you.” Saban said
Alabama went on to beat Georgia in the SEC championship but eventually fell short in a thriller against Michigan in the playoff semifinal.
2024: DeBoer’s First Iron Bowl
While this game may not be as exciting as previous ones, first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer took on Auburn for the first time as Alabama’s coach. This was also the sixth straight year a unique coaching matchup had taken place in the series.
Despite turning the ball over four times, Alabama handled Auburn easily with a 28-14 win in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Milroe led the way, accounting for 79% of the total offense. Running back Jam Miller also posted a career high 28 carries for 84 yards.
The defense was lockdown: Defensive backs Zabien Brown and Bray Hubbard each had interceptions, and the team had five tackles for loss.
With that victory, Alabama extended its win streak over Auburn to five years in a row and looks to make it six on Saturday. The final game of the regular season is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ABC.
