Nick Saban explains why Jordan-Hare Stadium can be factor in Iron Bowl

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are preparing to face Auburn in one of the biggest rivalry matchups in all of sports.

While Saban boasts a 125-24 record since taking the reigns as the Alabama head coach, five of those losses have come to the Auburn Tigers.

There are plenty of memories Crimson Tide fans would love to forget that took place on the grounds of Jordan-Hare stadium, and earlier this week, the Alabama front man was asked about the challenges of Auburn’s home field with Iron Bowl just days away.

“They’ve got great passion and enthusiasm,” Nick Saban said. “It’s like any place you play on the road, if you don’t play well and you don’t execute, we’ve kind of been our own worst enemy when I think of the games we have played down there.”

Saban then alluded to various self-inflicted errors over the years that have plagued his squad, particularly on the road against Auburn.

“Whether we’ve turned the ball over, or pick sixes on the one-yard line, kick six, there have been a lot of things that we’ve contributed to that’s made it difficult,” Nick Saban added.

“I think the biggest thing is being positive about how you’re going to execute and stay focused, and not be distracted by the external factors or the noise surrounding the game.”

While the Crimson Tide front man has been candid about his young team’s growth and need for improvement throughout the season, he says in order to knock off his team’s rival in their own stadium comes down to basic fundamentals.

“But when the game starts, get in there and be able to play one play at a time, and do your job well,” Nick Saban added. “That’s the challenge and that’s what we’ve got to be able to do.”

When asked about his most memorable Iron Bowl experience, Saban gave an answer that may surprise many fans. It was the one time he wasn’t on hand for the rivalry game and was forced to watch from home.

But with Saturday looming, the Alabama head coach understands anything can happen, despite records or predictions.

“Look, there’s been some crazy things happen [in the Iron Bowl],” Nick Saban added. “The last time we played down there [at Auburn], we had a chance to get the ball back, they had the quarterback in the game, I already mentioned the kick-six, one year we had like five chances to score inside the red zone in the fourth quarter and never scored a point. They came back and tied the game and we got beat. Then we’ve had some really, really good games that we’ve played as well. You seem to remember the ones that didn’t go well the most because they hurt the most.

“What we’re focused on is not what happened in the past but what we need to do to play well in this game this week.”

Alabama and Auburn are slated to kickoff at 3:30PM ET from Jordan-Hare Stadium.