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Alabama fans form insane line outside Coleman Coliseum ahead of Auburn showdown
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Alabama fans were lined up bright and early to get into Coleman Coliseum ahead of Saturday’s massive battle with No. 1 Auburn.
The second-ranked Crimson Tide played host to ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday morning. Doors were not set to open to students until 8:30 a.m. ET, but that didn’t stop a massive line of Alabama fans forming well before 6:30 a.m. ET outside the arena.
These 2 teams split the regular-season series last year, with Alabama winning by 4 at home and Auburn winning by 17 a few weeks later. That win for the Tigers snapped a string of 3 consecutive wins in the series for the Crimson Tide.
Anticipation for Saturday’s game is unprecedented. It’s the first matchup between AP No. 1 and No. 2 teams in SEC history and a win for Alabama would give coach Nate Oats a school record for wins over ranked opponents in a single season. ESPN’s Jay Bilas said Saturday morning that this is only the beginning for what is an otherwise storied rivalry.
Since taking over at Alabama, Oats has taken the program to its first-ever Final Four and made 3 Sweet 16 appearances in his first 5 seasons. Alabama swept SEC titles in 2020-21 and in 2022-23. A win on Saturday would push the Crimson Tide (21-3, 10-1 SEC) into the driver’s seat in this year’s regular-season conference title race.
Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. Alabama is a 1.5-point favorite, via BetMGM.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
