The rivalry game between Alabama and Auburn is almost always a great game, no matter what the teams' records. It is often cited as the great rivalry game in college football (with apologies to Michigan-Ohio State).
I'm an Alabama fan by marriage, but not heavily invested in the game. My teams are South Alabama and Washington State. But even a casual fan of these two storied SEC teams, or college football fans in general, can find a ton of compelling story lines in this game.
Along with some classic moments.
There was the time when Bo Jackson, on a 4th and Goal, ran the wrong way in a play that the announcers correctly said people would be talking about for years. (Side note: When did video from my youth become so grainy?)
And then there is the unbelievable "did that really happen" Kick Six, which still amazes me every time I see Chris Davis run it. And brace yourself, Bama fans, you will see the Kick Six a lot... leading up to the Iron Bowl. It's right up there with Stanford-Cal ("the band is out on the field" -- Google it!)
Who knows what the story of the 2018 Iron Bowl will be? Alabama seems so dominant that it's hard for anyone to imagine anything but another Bama blowout. The games between Alabama and everyone else in college football have become so lopsided that even Crimson Tide fans are yelling "We Want Bama!" after a decisive win. Take it as a joke, or take it as a plea for someone, anyone to give Alabama an interesting game.
If anyone will give Alabama a fight, it is going to be Auburn. And now we know the time and channel for that game. The Iron Bowl will take the prime CBS slot, meaning a 2:30PM start time on Saturday, November 24th.
You can start sending out invites for your Iron Bowl party.