Staff Picks - Auburn @ alabama

Here we go, let’s see the damage.

Auburn @ alabama (-24) (O/U 53)

“So here’s where I pick against Auburn to hold any hope of victory. Screw that noise. To paraphrase Jimmy McNulty, ‘Saban’s an asshole! He doesn’t get to win. We get to win.’ To hell with Alabama forever. Jamel Dean pick-6 breaks the tie late, Nick Coe sack, scoop, and score adds the exclamation point. Tua loses the Heisman to Minshew, and we print ‘Pass Bama Pass’ bumper stickers. Auburn 27, Alabama 13.” - James Jones

“Oh, Auburn’s a 24 point dog on the road? Against an absolute machine of a team, in the midst of a dynasty? Ok, cool. War Eagle. Auburn 31-28.” - Ryan Sterritt

“So here’s the thing. While I despise UGA and understand why there are many who might even see them as the bigger rival, I am not one of those people. Having grown up in Alabama, I can tell you that there is nothing worse than a Crimson Tide fan. I wish nothing but the worst for everything associated with that program. So while everything logical says that Bama will win and do so by multiple touchdowns, as a good Auburn man I refuse to make such declarations. Barn hard till I die, Tigers 24, Bama 23 with the Tide scoring a game tying TD to end the game but missing the XP. Bama sucks, War Damn Eagle! .” - AU Nerd

“Well this isn’t fun. I would love to pick Auburn in a blaze of glory, but this version of the Tigers hasn’t shown me any reason to believe it. Uat is the strongest team in the country, plus their second team is probably better on the whole than Auburn first team (especially on offense, and you could make a case at points on defense). This won’t be fun, but I will take my beating like a man and hope for the best, although the best has already come and gone. uat 42, Auburn 17.” - Drew McCracken

“Look, I don’t know about you guys but I hate Alabama. I hate this game. I hate playing them. I hate the way it makes me feel. Auburn is the last team to beat these jerks, and looks like half the team they were last year while Alabama is now a killing machine. Gimme Auburn to pull the upset. Because it will make so many people mad—including some stupider Auburn fans. Auburn 35-34.” - Son of Crow

“Alright Auburn fans, It’s time for me to get real. This is really what’s been eating at me for a few weeks now. In every year going back as far as I can remember, I’ve been able to at least convince myself we are going to win the Iron Bowl. It’s been apparent to me for a while that I wasn’t going to be able to do that this year. In fact I find it even more depressing that I consider it a win that Auburn is going to beat the spread. It helps that it’s such a wide margin. This is a great Bama team. I think Auburn can keep it respectable for a while. And yet the fact I can’t pump up enough sunshine to make myself believe in a scenario that has Auburn winning is really bumming me out. The only shot out beloved Tigers have is to throw everything going back to Gus’s day playing touch football games at his church. If we do that, then maybe, just maybe we can pull off the unexpected. Anyway, Buck Fama.” - AU Chief

“I’m not even sure if I’m going to watch this game (I’ll be traveling), that’s how much I believe Auburn has a chance to win this game. The only things that have slowed down Alabama this year are injuries, missed extra points, and The Citadel’s running game. I hope Auburn throws every bit of the playbook at Alabama this weekend but I just don’t think it will be enough. Alabama 33 Auburn 13.” - Will McLaughlin

“I want to Barn hard. I want to. I can’t, though. I think this game looks strikingly similar to the 2015-16 affairs. Gus Malzahn knows how to coach against Saban, and knows how to at least slow his teams down. On the other side, Saban seems to tighten up against Gus. I still think that for the end of time, every Bama fan is going to get a little bit of a Buckner-walking-back-into-Shea feeling when they see Auburn in the road whites in Tuscaloosa after 2010. I think the defense plays inspired ball, but the offense doesn’t produce enough and we falter late with a couple of touchdowns by the home team that end up making it look worse than it actually is. Auburn does put up some points on their defense, and I think Seth Williams quiets the crowd once with a statement touchdown catch, but they’re just too much in the end. Alabama wins 34-17.” - Jack Condon