No. 13 Alabama defeats Auburn in Iron Bowl, cementing winning SEC record

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Kalen DeBoer’s first Iron Bowl was far from the back-and-forth of some shootouts of the past and lacked the theatrics of Nick Saban’s final act in the legendary rivalry last season. Even so, the first-year Alabama coach did something Saban could not: taste victory in his inaugural Alabama-Auburn showdown.

Despite three turnovers in the first half (two lost fumbles and one interception), the No. 13 Crimson Tide staved off the Tigers' bid for bowl eligibility, guaranteeing with its 28-14 win that Auburn would not achieve bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season. Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) concurrently extended its winning streak over its in-state archrival to five games.

The contest got off to a low-scoring start on what was a cold afternoon, as the favored Crimson Tide only mustered a touchdown in the first quarter. This was due in part to the first of the aforementioned turnovers, a fumble by star freshman wideout Ryan Williams on what would have been a successful third-down conversion. Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) did not capitalize on the ensuing drive, instead falling victim once more to its season-long kicking woes by way of a miss from 38 yards off the boot of Ian Vachon.

Vachon still connected twice in the opening half, keeping the Tigers in the game against Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe's two first-half rushing touchdowns (the first Auburn score in the game came after Milroe's interception). Alabama led 14-6 at the break and then added a third rushing touchdown on the day with the opening possession of the second half, courtesy of a two-yard run from tailback Justice Haynes.

Alabama began to pull away after that score, forcing a Tigers punt on the next drive and then reaping the benefits of a third Milroe touchdown on the ground. That turned what was once a one-possession game into a 28-6 margin, and that did not bode well relating to Auburn's prior offensive struggles in SEC play. Hugh Freeze's squad had scored more than 28 points in only one SEC game this season entering the Iron Bowl.

Emotions boiled over on the next Auburn drive after an incomplete Payton Thorne pass. This sequence, which included a scuffle but did not escala te to full-blown fisticuffs, elicited boos from the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd. Unsportsmanlike penalties also made landfall for two Alabama defensive backs, including fan-favorite Malachi Moore, who was honored pregame for Senior Day.

The Tigers, courtesy partly of the penalties on Moore and DeVonta Smith, mounted another offensive as the third quarter waned with the fading daytime sky. Under cover of darkness and the stadium lights, Thorne connected with blue-chip freshman Cam Coleman for a 29-yard touchdown pass; Auburn then converted on a two-point attempt to bring the deficit to an even 14 points.

Once 45 minutes were in the books, Alabama was dealing with a rival which still had life despite a disparity in both season trajectory and pregame expectations. This is, more often than a casual onlooker might think, how rivalry week plays out between college football programs big and small. That's the wa y it was in the first Iron Bowl not to feature Saban in the better part of two decades. As such, Milroe lost another fumble while trying to move the sticks on third down during what was originally meant as the Crimson Tide's opening fourth-quarter salvo, a series which could've put the contest away with a touchdown.

Instead, Auburn was given another chance to hang around, wasting little time on approach toward the Alabama red zone. However, the Tigers tried a double pass from the Crimson Tide's 30-yard line, and standout running back Jarquez Hunter was intercepted by Bray Hubbard. It was the first turnover of the day for the visitors.

Late in the fourth, things still weren’t entirely done and dusted as the Tigers began to use their timeouts with fewer than five minutes remaining. Auburn subsequently turned the ball over once more, as Thorne’s propensity for ill-timed turnovers reared its head with two and a h alf minutes to go in the ball game in the form of an interception to freshman Zabien Brown. That all but eliminated any uncertainty surrounding the final result, though a couple minutes’ worth of semantics were yet to be officially decided. Alabama ran the ball out from there, then punted and saw the clock run out from deep in its own territory following a couple Auburn completions.

Alabama woke up Saturday morning with a path to the College Football Playoff slim enough that describing it as an "outside chance" would be putting it mildly. However, step one to preserving it was accomplished on Saban Field with the rivalry win. Without a direct stake in next Saturday's SEC title game, the Crimson Tide's fate is now officially out of its hands, come what may across the landscape of college football.