A stat about the 2019 Iron Bowl shows just how meaningful the game has been this decade

It’s Iron Bowl week in the state of Alabama, as the Crimson Tide will meet up with the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

This decade, the game has been incredibly important not just for the two rivals, but also for the SEC and national landscapes.

Per Brandon Zimmerman, this year’s Iron Bowl will be the first time since 2011 that the winner of the game hasn’t represented the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game:

This will be the first Iron Bowl since 2011 that the winner will not move on to play in the SEC Championship game.

— Brandon Zimmerman (@BZSEC) November 24, 2019

If you’ll remember, Alabama went on to win the national title during that 2011 season, but it was LSU that represented the SEC West in Atlanta.

This year, LSU is once again heading back to Atlanta, though Alabama and Auburn still have plenty to play for on Saturday afternoon.