Nick Saban tips hat to Auburn: 'Thank God what could have happened didn’t happen'
Alabama head coach Nick Saban knows the Iron Bowl could have been a much different affair for his team.
It ended up as a 27-24 win for the No. 8 Crimson Tide over in-state rival Auburn. A win is a win, especially at this point of the season, but oh what could have been for the Tigers over their highly-ranked opponent.
Auburn took the lead with 10:15 to go in the fourth quarter thanks to an Alex McPherson 21-yard field goal. The Tigers then forced Alabama's offense into two-straight three-and-outs, but a muffed punt return gave the Crimson Tide new life and on fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 31, quarterback Jalen Milroe completed a miracle pass to sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Bond for a touchdown.
Defensive back Terrion Arnold sealed the deal with a pick a few moments later to help Alabama escape with the win, but it was all too close to comfort for Saban.
“I went to church yesterday. The first thing I said was, ‘Thank God what could have happened didn’t happen,'” Saban said in a recent news conference (h/t On3). “A little bit of a reality check. One of the things that we wanted to do in the game was channel our passion and our energy into positive execution on the field.
“When we did that, we played really, really well. But, there were some times where we didn’t, and it was very costly in terms of some of the errors that we made, whether they were penalties or mistakes on defense.”
Errors are one thing against a mediocre Auburn team, but Saban's squad won't get the luxury to make mistakes against No. 1 Georgia this weekend in the SEC Championship game. With that said, he's happy his squad has made it this far so far.
“The reality check part comes from taking the good things and building on them and getting some of these other things corrected,” Saban explained. “You’re having the opportunity to play in the SEC championship game.
“I’m very, very proud of this team for the progress that they’ve made, the work that they’ve done to give themselves an opportunity to play in the SEC championship game. This is one of the most competitive best venues in college football, and we’re obviously playing one of the best teams in college football.”
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