The 90th Iron Bowl final score was Alabama Crimson Tide 27 - Auburn Tigers 20. The score is misleading. Alabama won by a whisker-thin margin. As in, Alabama was just barely the better team. Auburn more than doubled Alabama in passing yards. Alabama gained 19 more sack-adjusted rushing yards. The Tigers averaged 5.5 yards per play to 3.8 yards for the Crimson Tide.
The Auburn defense produced six quarterback hurries and three sacks. Kane Wommack's Crimson Tide defense produced one hurry and one sack.
The sixth straight Alabama Crimson Tide win over Auburn was aided considerably by Auburn dropping five first-half passes. The game's outcome came down to Alabama's interception and a forced fumble recovery, AND one bold offensive call perfectly executed by the Crimson Tide.
The 4th-and-2 call by DeBoer/Grubb will go down in Iron Bowl history. The six-yard touchdown pass from Ty Simpson to Isaiah Horton finished a 15-play, 75-yard winning drive. Credit Alabama for the mental toughness to execute when it had no other survivable choice. That is the resiliency DeBoer has been instilling and praising throughout most of the season. Against Auburn, it was enough - just enough.
During Feast Week of college football, Alabama got no help from others. Only one team ranked above Alabama by the Playoff Selection Committee lost. Texas A&M's loss to Texas will not move the currently No. 3-ranked Aggies down enough to help Alabama.
Will the Alabama Crimson Tide remain at No. 10?
In the next-to-final rankings on Tuesday night, Alabama will probably hold on to its precarious No. 10 ranking. Unless the Selection Committee uses some eye-ball reference to Alabama struggling to beat a now 5-7 Auburn team, and slides Alabama to No. 11.
At 10-2, with one of college football's most difficult schedules, the Alabama Crimson Tide should be a playoff lock. But Miami, BYU, and possibly Texas lurk to steal the final No. 10 slot. Beating Georgia in Atlanta is Alabama's only sure protection. A double-digit loss to the Bulldogs might be Alabama's ruin.
Note: Iron Bowl game stats provided by Stat Broadcast