Nick Saban: It's good to have normal Iron Bowl atmosphere back

While the global COVID-19 pandemic affected the way college sports operated throughout the 2020 season, there was a different feeling across the landscape – especially when it came to crowds and atmospheres at college football games. Even for big rivalry games that would usually draw crowds of near 100,000, capacity restrictions implemented by the pandemic kept that from happening – and that made things feel off.

Now, near the end of the 2021 college football regular season, nearly everything is back to normal in sports – and, most notably, large crowds have been back at games all throughout the season. With rivalry week upon us, there are plenty of stadiums that will be filled with fans – especially at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday as Auburn hosts No. 3 Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

During his weekly press conference, Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked if he had a different perspective heading into this season’s Iron Bowl after last year’s had a different feeling due to COVID-19.

“I don’t know that my perspective on the game is any different,” Saban said. “The circumstances surrounding the game relative to what we all went through a year ago is a society – as well as in sports – made it a little different then, but we’re pretty much back to normal. It’s great to have fans, it’s great to have the kind of energy and enthusiasm we’ve had in our home games and I’m sure that wherever we played and wherever play in the future will have the same kind of passion and energy.

“It’s more getting back to normal than it is having a different perspective. I think last year was the different perspective.”

A seasoned rivalry

Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 86th time on Saturday, with the Crimson Tide holding a 47-37-1 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1893. Alabama won last season’s meeting, 42-13, in at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Saturday’s contest is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS. Alabama comes in as a 19.5-point favorite, with the total points currently set at 56.

Bryan Harsin discusses importance of Iron Bowl at Auburn, advice he’s received

Bryan Harsin knew the expectations at Auburn would be high, and he knew part of the job — and to some fans, the most important part of the job — is finding a way to beat Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl rivalry.

“This game has been going on for a long time. This game is one that everybody in the country knows,” Harsin said. “To me, that’s the best part of this game. You have that excitement and passion surrounding it. So, you want to go out there and have yourself prepared and ready to play. You want to go out and play your best game. You want to have an opportunity to put yourself in a position to go have a chance to win. And you do that by having yourself prepared.”