Saturday afternoon for the Alabama Crimson Tide will be historic; and for Auburn as well, along with the SEC. Never before in the SEC's basketball history have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation played a game against each other.
The Feb. 15 Iron Bowl of Basketball (IBOB) is not only unique, but it also has an oddity that when measured by both the AP and Coaches Polls, the game will have two No. 1 teams and two No. 2 teams. As a result, the winner can lay a fair claim to being college basketball's best team.
The claim may not hold water for long. Three weeks later the two teams will play again in another IBOB. Theoretically, the second IBOB could mark just the halfway mark of roundball contests between the two rivals this season. They could meet again in the SEC Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament, each of which may become more hyped than the previous one.
ESPN's run-up hype for Saturday's game has already angered many Alabama fans. The network's attitude of nothing is ever too much led to inserting a clip from a 2013 football Iron Bowl into Tuesday night's Alabama vs. Texas broadcast. Disdain from Alabama fans was predictably intense. Alabama fans don't take lightly, being figuratively spat upon.
Tuesday night's animosity toward ESPN will vanish when Saturday is consumed by everyone in crimson and while, hating everyone in orange and blue (and vice versa).
The contest should be a great one; though one side will ultimately be completely uninterested in greatness. That is the way it is in the old rivalry. It is all or nothing. Neither Nate Oats nor Bruce Pearl grew up with it. Neither did many of the players. No matter; the intensity consumes everyone.
What is extraordinary, is that on Saturday afternoon, Tuscaloosa, AL will be the center of the college basketball universe. That too has never happened before. Who knows, maybe the play will be so wonderful it warrants some hat tips from fans of the losing team. That doesn't happen often after Iron Bowls.
Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn History
The playing history between the two programs goes back to 1924, but the teams played only twice until 1948. The rivals have played 65 times in Tuscaloosa and Auburn has won just 12. Auburn fans have good reasons to be optimistic about getting a 13th on Saturday afternoon. But, neither the history nor a historic Saturday will have any bearing on the game.
Note: Alabama and Auburn game history provided by mcubed.net.