Iron Bowl week has arrived, and for the second consecutive year, Auburn will look to only play the spoiler against Alabama, keeping the Crimson Tide from the College Football Playoff.

The Tigers will have some advantages: a home-field atmosphere, more experience in close games and, unfortunately, will not have to face Tua Tagovailoa after his season-ending injury. Yet this is a Nick Saban team we are talking about and, in the areas where Auburn might have some advantage, it won’t be by much.

Here are the 5 biggest concerns that I have when the Tigers line up against Alabama on Saturday afternoon:

1. Wide receivers aplenty

Auburn’s secondary has faced some talented wide receivers this year  — LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson come to mind — but not a receiver corps so deep as Alabama has. It is almost too many gifts that the Tide have at the position with DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle all being guys that can take over a game  at any time.

How will the Tigers’ defense be able to contain all that talent? Look at what they did against LSU schematically with the 3-1-7 look that gave the Tigers some problems. Auburn held Joe Burrow and Co. to 23 points, something that can’t go overlooked.

2. Mac Jones is good, people

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way: Jones is a talented quarterback. If he wasn’t, he definitely wouldn’t be the backup at a program as esteemed as Alabama’s. He’s not Tua, but you aren’t going to see that amount of talent at the quarterback position very much any year. Jones has completed 71.4 percent of his pass attempts, thrown for 7 touchdowns and just 1 interception.

The Auburn defense must be ready and, with so little game film on the sophomore quarterback, there could be some new things that the Tigers can’t plan for.

3. Auburn’s ability to move ball and score points

In 3 games against teams in the top 10 (LSU, Georgia, Florida), the Tigers have put up an average of 15.67 points per game, not exactly what you want from an offense in big games. Part has been the lack of a consistent running game, other reasons come down to Bo Nix’s inability to make a big throw and Malzahn’s play-calling. No matter the reason, it is now the 12th game of the season and everything should be set for a better offensive performance.

It will be difficult against an Alabama defense that is holding teams to 16.2 points per game. (Interestingly enough, that is the same amount that Auburn’s defense is allowing per outing.)

With the inability to move the ball comes to …

4. Alabama’s offensive line wearing down Auburn’s defensive line

There is only so much a defensive line can do after so many snaps, no matter how fit they may be for such large human beings. There is a physical limit to playing at their best and, after the 5th-or-so 3-and-out by the offense, the tank starts to empty on these guys.

Alabama’s offensive front is, per usual, large and athletic and can continually punish the opposition at will. You better believe that Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and the guys up front will give every ounce of energy they have in their last game against their rivals, but if the offense does not give them time to catch their breaths on the sideline, they will inevitably wear down.

5. Kicking woes

For the first time in seemingly years, it might be possible that the Crimson Tide have a field goal kicker advantage over the Tigers, and that might end up being huge in what could be a close game. Anders Carlson has struggled from beyond 40 yards, something that has not been a problem for kickers in the past.

While starter Will Reichard is likely to still be out, his backup Joseph Bulovas has been solid, although his long comes at just 36 yards.

Getting 3 points when available will be huge in this game. Can Carlson step it up?