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Nate Oats on anticipated volume level with ESPN College GameDay at Auburn: 'It's ridiculous'

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•02/10/23
Aubie
Auburn's mascot Aubie takes a selfie with two admiring fans on Jan. 25, 2023. (Michael Chang / Getty Images)

Alabama is readying for a tough test on the road, with Auburn set to host its in-state rival with ESPN’s College GameDay in town and the Tigers faithful ready to feast after a difficult stretch.

For Auburn, the game will represent an immediate chance to correct a lot of the damage it has done to its NCAA Tournament resume in recent weeks.

The Tigers have lost four of the last five contests, while the Crimson Tide rolls in with an unblemished conference record, having lost only a non-conference game to Oklahoma in the last month and a half.

Still, despite the recent run of form for both, Alabama coach Nate Oats is prepared for a wild atmosphere after pumping sound into practice.

“We try to imitate the noise, it’s not going to be at the same decibel level,” Oats said. “It’s ridiculous when you’re playing inside that arena.”

Alabama will do what it can to prepare, but the extra attention on the game with ESPN’s College GameDay at Auburn is nothing but a positive, the way Oats sees it.

“This game has become a national game,” Oats said. “That’s why ESPN College GameDay decided to go to Auburn for the game. It’s good for basketball in the state of Alabama.”

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A Bracketology battle on tap

Alabama has no concerns whatsoever about making the NCAA Tournament at this point, a virtual lock no matter who you ask. That doesn’t mean the Crimson Tide don’t still have plenty to play for, though.

They’re battling for a No. 1 seed.

In Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology for ESPN, Alabama does in fact own a No. 1 seed designation, with Alabama slotted to the Midwest Region.

For Auburn, the battle is entirely different. The Tigers are simply trying to stay afloat in the field.

That would have sounded absurd about three weeks ago, but the Tigers have hit some serious turbulence having lost four of their last five games. Lunardi now has Auburn all the way down to a No. 9 seed.

Suffice it to say, the stakes on Saturday will be plenty high on both sides.