Bryan Harsin is getting an idea of what the Iron Bowl is like and he’s yet to coach in one. But based on the feedback, he knows it’s important.

“The first question I was asked after I did my press conference on Christmas Eve was about the Iron Bowl … So here we are,” Harsin said. “You want to go out there and have yourself prepared to play … You want to have an opportunity to put yourself in a position to have a chance to win.”

At his first press conference as the Auburn coach, Harsin discussed the importance of making every single practice and every single game important. If they aren’t, then moments like the Iron Bowl become too big, he said.

“I understand the Iron Bowl from where I’ve sat in the past,” he said in December.

Both teams are looking for a more complete effort than they’ve put up recently. Auburn has lost 3 straight, while Alabama has struggled in multiple areas as wins over LSU and Arkansas have had some white-knuckle sequences.

H/T Jordan Hill.