Takeaways from Alabama Football's Improbable Iron Bowl Victory on the Plains
AUBURN, Ala. — Now that the dust has settled ... has it?
I'm still in disbelief of what I saw down on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium last night, and I'm sure you are too, wherever you watched.
The Alabama Crimson Tide's season looked like it was down the drain. After a poor snap from Seth McLaughlin that rolled away from Jalen Milroe and the penalty the very next play, Alabama was faced with a do-or-die fourth down, needing 31 yards.
Milroe somehow found Isaiah Bond in the back of the end zone, putting yet another classic Iron Bowl into the history books.
Here are my takeaways from an unforgettable night down on the Plains:
The Iron Bowl Delivers, Again
Ten years after losing in devastating fashion on the Kick Six, the Crimson Tide delivered its fans a victory in similar fashion. This is two years after Bryce Young led Alabama on a 97-yard drive to eventually win the game in four overtimes.
That one was dubbed the "Disaster on the Pasture." Now, the Crimson Tide has "The Nightmare at Jordan-Hare." The world is a weird place. Everything always comes back around. For Alabama fans, it has to feel good to be on the right end of dramatic finishes in this rivalry after what happened in 2013.
There is no argument. The Iron Bowl is the greatest rivalry in college football and it's not close. 2023 was just another classic in what is the greatest show on turf.
Jalen Milroe, Isaiah Bond Stamp Names in History
There have been some memorable, in a bad way, moments for Crimson Tide quarterbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Aside from a few mental errors on the illegal forward pass penalties, Milroe was sensational. He made all of the winning plays down the stretch, including the perfect pass to Isaiah Bond on the game-winning touchdown.
16-for-24 with 259 yards and two touchdowns, and he put his body on the line 18 times for 107 yards on the ground in what was a physical game.
It's been said before — if you play at Alabama or Auburn, you make a name for yourself in the Iron Bowl. That couldn't be any more true for Bond, who will now go down in the history of the most hateful, historic rivalry in all of college sports.
Everyone remembers a true-freshman Ja'Corey Brooks making the game-tying catch two years ago. There will be no way to forget Bond after that one.
A kid from Texas and a kid from Georgia connected to create one of the craziest plays and endings in college football history, further showing Nick Saban's dominance on the recruiting trail.
A Reality Check? No
After the game, Saban said that the Crimson Tide won a game it didn't play well in, which isn't always a good thing. There are also people discrediting the win due to Auburn's 6-6 record and loss to New Mexico State last week.
I respectfully disagree.
Firstly, I think Alabama played well for the most part. The rush defense was a concern. The penalties were a concern. And yes, I don't think the Crimson Tide wanted to go down to the wire with a team that got beat by 21 points against a C-USA team.
But it's the Iron Bowl. It's a heated rivalry game. The Tigers were always going to bring their best game to the field, and simply winning a game like that is enough. If you've been watching these games at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the past, you know what I mean. Look at Georgia, who beat Georgia Tech 31-23. Rivalry week is about survival.
And surviving is exactly what Alabama did.
Get Your Thumbs Ready
Everyone remembers Tommy Tuberville giving the thumb after Auburn won its fifth straight Iron Bowl in 2006. Then the Tigers won a sixth in-a-row in 2007.
Since then, Tuberville became a U.S. senator and Alabama holds an 11-4 record in the rivalry, including its fourth straight in the series on Saturday — for the first time since nine straight from 1973-1981.
The Crimson Tide's senior class will leave without a loss to Auburn. And next year, Saban will have an opportunity to give fans the thumb at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Like I said before, the world really always does come full-circle, doesn't it?
