TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No matter what happens during the regular season Alabama and Auburn fans always have the final Saturday in November circled on their calendars. On that day, the two premier college football programs battle for state supremacy in the famed Iron Bowl.
The two programs have a combined 108 NFL first-round draft picks and this year's matchup will likely showcase a few more. Since former star running back Cadillac Williams was named the interim head coach in October, Auburn has seen increased production from Tank Bigsby, Owen Pappoe and Derick Hall.
On Monday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban highlighted all three players when asked about what has made the Tigers so successful in their last month of the season.
"They've played really well these last three games," Saban said. "They run the ball effectively. They've got a lot of diversity on offense. Their quarterback's a very athletic player who can run and throw. Tank is one of the better backs in the SEC.
"Their defense is very, very aggressive. (Owen) Pappoe is a really good inside backer. (Derick) Hall is a really good rusher, creates a lot of negative plays. They're very good on special teams. This is a very challenging game for us, and our players are going to have to do a great job of getting prepared to play as well as we've played all season."
Here's how Alabama and Auburn stack up on paper via their high school star ratings.
*Used first Austin Peay and Alabama players at each position based on their depth charts, though there are many OR spots.*
