Media reacts to Alabama's first half dominance over Auburn in Iron Bowl
The 24-point betting line favoring Alabama for this year’s Iron Bowl raised some eyebrows considering Auburn is ranked in the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff selection committee poll. The folks in Vegas know what they’re doing.
The first half of the 2020 Iron Bowl has been all Alabama with the Tide leading 21-3. As you might expect, the media reaction has focused on Mac Jones’ performance, which is sure to boost his standing in the Heisman Trophy race. Some of the media folks are ready to give Jones the stiff-arm trophy.
The Alabama offense isn’t having any issues with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian juggling head coaching duties. Jones and company have 222 yards already, (174 passing, 48 rushing).
Here’s a small sample of what the media is saying:
Wish there was a Saban Cam megacast.
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) November 28, 2020
In a sure budget shortfall, I can't believe Alabama is not selling a pay-per-view live stream of Nick Saban watching this game.
I would pay at least $6.37 for this.
— David Ubben (@davidubben) November 28, 2020
Saban is a system coach
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) November 28, 2020
Alabama shut Auburn off the scoreboard in the first quarter.
Its defense now has pitched 12 shutout quarters of football.
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) November 28, 2020
Thanks for coming out, Auburn.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) November 28, 2020
If you’re sick of watching Auburn flop around, State just fumbled on the goal line and Ole Miss returned it to their own 14. Might I recommend the Egg Bowl!
— Amanda Mull (@amandamull) November 28, 2020
kicking that field goal will really only work out for Auburn if it can get a stop and score again before halftime
otherwise, you kicked a field goal to stay down by two touchdowns
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 28, 2020
With that catch, DeVonta Smith once again has more receiving yards than Auburn has total offense. It’s currently 101-96.
— Brett Hudson (@Brett_Hudson) November 28, 2020
I just think Alabama's base stuff is working too well.
— Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) November 28, 2020
Let’s run it up Sark
— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) November 28, 2020
Great pocket awareness from Mac there. He’s playing very well in this Iron Bowl.
— John Talty (@JTalty) November 28, 2020
Doesn't really matter the down or distance: Auburn can't trot Anders Carlson onto the field for anything other than extra points or kickoffs from here on out. You're not catching this Alabama team with field goals.
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) November 28, 2020
Mac Jones is magical in the pocket pic.twitter.com/hz4wZxF7NN
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) November 28, 2020
WHAT. A. THROW.
— Hunter Johnson (@HunterLJohnson) November 28, 2020
Wildly underrated play by Mac Jones there.
Had to speed up the play-action, take quick step away from pressure, drop a dime over a defender. Did it all in 1.5 seconds.
— Braden Gall (@BradenGall) November 28, 2020
Mac Jones trying to win a Heisman or what? He’s 9-12 for 174 yards, 3 TD and no INT. And there’s still 6:24 left in the first half.
— Alex Scarborough (@AlexS_ESPN) November 28, 2020
People keep telling me Kyle Trask, Justin Fields whoever are Heisman Trophy favorites. To me, Mac Jones has been the most impressive player I've seen in college football all year. I literally don't remember him having a single bad drive all season. Dude has been INCREDIBLE
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) November 28, 2020
Mac Jones snatching the Heisman like… pic.twitter.com/LkeoayCGuV
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) November 28, 2020
What he said ⬇️ https://t.co/M8MrwnvJGO
— Barstool Bama (@BarstoolAlabama) November 28, 2020
This is a Pete Golding Stan account
— BamaHammer (@Bama_Hammer) November 28, 2020
This Florida vs Alabama SEC Championship Game’s gonna be a hell of a lot of fun, yo.
— Alex Haddon Ferguson (@SECblog) November 28, 2020
Seth Williams might opt out at halftime.
— Hunter Johnson (@HunterLJohnson) November 28, 2020
Seth Williams is so used to catching ill-fated passes, apparently, he forgot how to catch this one. pic.twitter.com/nUZLHWAZgc
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) November 28, 2020
I don’t know how Malachi Moore isn’t a Freshman All-American.
— Brett Hudson (@Brett_Hudson) November 28, 2020
I love that our play out of the timeout was a 40 yard rope across the field instead of trying to do something useful. 21-3 Bama at the half and you feel like it could be worse.
— gotchya and grabass purveyors (@CollegeAndMag) November 28, 2020
Long pass to the far sideline intercepted.
I mean I don't know what Bo can do. All passes, everyone knows what's happening.
The dropped pass looms large. 21-10 would've felt different.
— Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) November 28, 2020
This is pointless. Bama could tackle every receiver at the LOS on the snap and not get flagged. Auburn so much as looks the wrong way it’s a penalty.
Really like to know how the refs couldn’t see Williams undershirt stretched 2ft behind him while the defender is dragged.
So you’ve done nothing this past week but go after Bama fans for believing Bama could cover the spread and now at half you’re blaming the refs….
LMAO.. At least let the game finish.
Tell me I’m wrong. I still don’t believe they cover, but tell me I’m wrong…
I think I remember people complaining about Auburn getting calls and no calls in some games this year …
What was Auburn fans response?
Up 29 and covering thus far. Punch another in.
Up 36. Do we cover 1983.
Well Bama should pull the starters now… Maybe Auburn will score some points In Garbage time…
“You’re going off hot takes from early in the season. Same as folks still banking on Nix making mistakes. That hasn’t happened in several games and Auburn’s secondary is the best in the SEC. Alabama’s defense isn’t as good as this line suggests either. Alabama is going to win but they’ll have to do it mostly on the ground which will eat up the clock and Alabama’s defense will not be able to hold Auburn to a 4 score deficit.
Again, I’m shocked you Bama fans don’t realize this. Just don’t bet on that line unless you got that money to lose because you’re gonna lose it.”
Remember this post? I’m shocked…
Don’t remember that one? What about this…
“I expect Auburn to surprise many today. Too many are tunneling Alabama’s last few games going into this and understandably so, but don’t be fooled by those games.”
We covered 1983. We covered.
That can’t be… I’m shocked.
All week long I said I expected Bama to cover UNLESS we got our injured players back, which didn’t happen. That being said, the refs are definitely calling a one-sided game and missed 2 blatant PI calls against Bama that ended 2 Auburn drives. Bama doesn’t need the refs help, so at least give the semblance of calling a fair game. How you don’t throw a flag when the receiver’s shirt is a full yard line behind him blows my mind.
Let those tears flow…
I’m sure Arky and Ole Miss feel your pain. Those darn refs.
What did y’all say after a terrible call cost Arkansas the game? I believe “Get over it” was the consensus.
Hey their just making up for all the calls they made for AU all y ear in this one game.AU won last year and kept Bama from making the playoffs. AU just isn’t that good this year don’t blame it on the refs.same result will be next week against LSU
Idk, I still think Auburn is a good team, they just aren’t great and that’s what it takes to beat this Bama team and I see that now.
Did you see the 2 handed horse collar tackle for no call? What’s your excuse for Williams dropping a wide open TD. Please explain a PI that Williams never looked for as it sailed way over his head and 5 yards out of bounds. Did they miss the grab? Yes they did. Did they miss some that helped Auburn. Yes they did.
You mean the pass that sailed over his head while the defender had a handful of his jersey and was being pulled while Seth was trying to get to the ball? That the call you mean? Last I checked, if you interfere with the receiver being able to get to the ball in the first place it’s pass interference, doesn’t have to be just when going for the catch.
And I’m not talking about the grab that stretched his undershirt back that should have also been called. I’m talking about the first shot Nix took to Seth.
Sounds like you’re making a lot of excuses to me…
I’m also pretty sure nobody was near Seth when he dropped the pass but I’m sure you can make up some $hit…
Actually, no I can’t. Seth dropping that pass was ridiculous and I’m sure he knows it. You call it making excuses, I call it analyzing the game for what it was. 1st half was missed calls, 2nd half was player mistakes. Without the missed calls and the dropped pass, Auburn would have beat the spread.
If I wanted to make excuses, I’d point to Bigsby not being a factor which would be petty because Bama had the same problem with Waddle.
Yes it’s making excuses.. Do you think there was no missed calls that went Auburns way?
There is things that happen on almost all the plays that could be called. For example, the PI against Jobe that kept Auburns drive alive which allowed them to score a TD wasn’t PI…. It was called that way though..
We simply look at excuses differently. To me, an excuse ((in this context)) would be an assumption based on variables that can’t be substantiated. For example, had Bigsby not taken the field, it’d be an excuse to say our run game had no success because he didn’t play. Without him playing, there’s no way to backup that assumption so I’d call it an excuse. Meanwhile, you can see the missed calls on both sides so that’s not an assumption and I wouldn’t call it an excuse. It’s being honest in analyzing the game for what it was. You call it an excuse, I don’t. So we agree to disagree.
Unfortunately I was wrong so I gotta take it like a man. It was a heck of a game for Bama and they showed Auburn up and then some. I was just so sure Auburn could slow down that pass game and I was wrong big time. So I give all Bama fans a Roll Tide with a heavy heart.
That being said, I still say 2 drives were cut short for Auburn on missed calls that could have made the difference in them beating that spread but it is what it is. I call it karma for what we were given early in the season.
So good game Bama, go win it all and we’ll see you next year. War Eagle!
I see your 2 calls that MAY have affected the game and raise you 2 plays that DID. Monday gets smoked by Smith after biting on a pump fake. Williams drops an easy TD. The refs had nothing to do with that and that was a 14 point turn around. That falls totally on the players.
You don’t get it. I’m talking about Auburn covering the spread. What Bama did is inconsequential to that. Yes, Williams dropping that pass prevented Auburn beating the spread but I’d argue that it wasn’t as detrimental as 2 drives being cut short on missed PI calls when they certainly didn’t miss the PI on Auburn.
But I can’t put too much on the refs because they did call a clean game in the 2nd half but I don’t think you can argue that the officiating was fairly one-sided in the first half.
The way I look at it is when you take a shot downfield into coverage, you’re looking for your receiver to beat the coverage or draw the PI. Bama did it, drew the PI and got the call in a drive that resulted in a TD. Auburn did it in 2 separate drives, drew the PI but didn’t get the call and it killed both drives.
I won’t argue that Williams dropped TD pass was a significant blow, but without those drives being killed on missed calls, that drop may not have mattered since Auburn was 1 TD short of beating the spread.
LMAO… beating the spread… You know your team sucks when your argument is
It’s the refs fault you didn’t cover a 24 point spread..
Why would it have been any other argument BamaTime? Auburn was never going to win that game, we knew it, Bama knew it, everyone knew it. But Auburn absolutely could have and should have beat the spread.
I don’t see a single team being able to beat Bama at this point so the conversation turns to who keeps it close, just like LSU last year. There’s no shame in that, that’s why people bet on it.
“But Auburn absolutely could have and should have beat the spread.”
Sorry but I watched the game as well… No they couldn’t and didn’t..
Yes actually they could have and I’d still argue they should have. The missed PIs that killed drives aside, Williams dropped TD would have done that alone. It is what it is because he dropped it but Auburn was just 1 TD shy of beating that spread.
You don’t think Bama took their foot off the gas some
Because of the score?
Trying to hang on to could have and should after the game is over is stupid…. The fact is they didn’t which means they couldn’t….
No I don’t think they did. Both teams ran starters throughout the game with the exception of Young coming in later in the 4th, Robinson Jr taking over for Harris who was starting to look a little banged up, and Richards coming in for Shivers.
Now, if Young had come in halfway through the 3rd with the second team like they did against Kentucky, I’d say differently.
Well there is one fact in this… Auburn didn’t cover the spread…