Nick Saban on 4OT Iron Bowl win: 'It was unbelievable'

Alabama pulled out a 24-22 win in the first ever Iron Bowl to head to overtime.

After a comeback win that took four extra periods, Alabama head coach Nick Saban couldn’t help but be happy, and a little speechless, about his team’s performance.

“I can’t tell you,” Saban told CBS reporter Jamie Erdahl after chuckling. “I can’t put it into words. I mean for the guys to keep fighting like they did and to have the 90-yard something drive to tie the game up to get it to overtime. I tell you what. The players — I was so proud of the way they competed in the game and fought. We said that’s what we wanted to do at halftime and I couldn’t be prouder of them. It was unbelievable.”

While trailing 10-3 with just over 90 seconds remaining, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young led a 12-play, 97-yard touchdown drive, which culminated in a 28-yard score to Ja’Corey Brooks. That sent the game to overtime at 10-10.

“I was really just trying to get our guys to focus on executing,” Saban added. “I think they were a little bit out of sorts, and I could see it in their eyes. I just wanted them to go play. I told them to have fun at halftime. I said ‘Just go have fun, man. Quit worrying about the result and let’s just go have fun.'”

“At what point did that become fun for you?” Erdahl responded.

“When we caught the ball!” Saban said gesturing toward the end zone in which the Tide sealed the win. He had a smile on his face and let out a laugh while pointing.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, kicked field goals in the second overtime, and covered 2-point plays in the third overtime. Auburn could not convert in the fourth period, and Alabama did. John Metchie caught the final conversion for the Tide.

Alabama heads to Atlanta next weekend to face 12-0 Georgia with an SEC championship on the line. At 11-1, they are still firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation if they can beat the Bulldogs. If they lose, a two-loss team has yet to make the playoff.