Alabama fans breathed a sigh of relief Saturday as they survived a close call with Tennessee. The last-minute win over the Vols kept Alabama's hopes of a championship alive and while there are still some obstacles left in the way of those hopes (namely LSU in two weeks), the Crimson Tide's dream of returning to the winner's circle is looking more and more realistic every week.
It's almost easy to forget that there's one other pesky detail in the way of Alabama's quest for a championship: the Tide doesn't control its own destiny in the SEC.
Yep, in order for Alabama to reach the SEC Championship Game (not a requirement to make the College Football Playoffs but it would certainly help), the Tide will need help from its SEC brethren. Ole Miss and Alabama each currently have a single conference loss, with the Rebels holding the tie-breaker. That means Alabama needs Ole Miss to pick up another loss somewhere along the way.
The Rebels still have some formidable tests in front of them (like LSU) but after an emotional blowout victory over Texas A&M, might the Rebels be taking their upcoming game against Auburn a little too lightly?
Alabama fans find themselves in the interesting position this weekend of rooting for Auburn to make good on those promises of continued improvement and upset the Rebels in what will likely be an emotional return to Jordan Hare Stadium for both teams. While Auburn's rush defense remains woeful, the Rebels aren't exactly starting Leonard Fournette in the backfield. Meanwhile Sean White, Peyton Barber and the Auburn offense look plenty powerful enough to give the Rebel defense a scare.
Can Auburn pull off the upset? Are you an Alabama fan who will be rooting on the Tigers this weekend? Let's chat about it in the comments this morning at 10 a.m. Central.