There’s some spice added because of the recruiting landscape. Hugh Freeze clearly made in-state prospects a priority by taking one look at the Tigers’ board for the 2025 class. Infusing home-grown talent who grew up in this madness as opposed to shopping on the national level will only add to the on-field scrap.

This year, for the first time in a long time, Alabama-Auburn simply doesn’t matter to the rest of the college football landscape anymore.

First-year head coaches (including interim head coaches) on both sides are a combined 5-17 in the Iron Bowl, and just one Alabama coach in the last 30 years has won his first game against Auburn. The Crimson Tide is a double-digit favorite in Saturday’s game, so there’s a good chance DeBoer bucks that trend.

Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer will get his first taste of the legendary Iron Bowl rivalry Saturday, which he became honest about.