Greg McElroy breaks down Iron Bowl rivalry matchup on Saturday

Nothing in the SEC quite compares to an Iron Bowl Saturday. Whether it’s taking place on the Plains or in Tuscaloosa, the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn is always at a high level. This year’s context has plenty at stake, with Hugh Freeze getting his first shot at Nick Saban as the Tigers head coach.

ESPN’s Greg McElroy broke down the game, beginning with where Alabama should excel. He thinks the bye week just before Halloween was when things really changed for quarterback Jalen Milroe. LSU, Kentucky, and Chattanooga have been the opponents and the Crimson Tide are best in the country in a couple of key stats.

“Alabama, since the bye week — they’ve been a completely different team,” McElroy said. “Since the bye week, they are No. 1 in points per game. They are No. 1 in third down conversion percentage — 71% of their third downs. The second-best team (Liberty) in the country is under 60. So, they are 11 points higher than the second-best team in the country since Nov. 1.”

Milroe getting involved in the run game has been huge as well. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has not been afraid to call his number, leading to success — especially in the red zone. But Milroe has done a better job at taking off when nobody is open and the protection has broken down.

LSU is really where Milroe excelled in the run game, going for 155 yards and four touchdowns on 20 attempts. Against Kentucky, the quarterback took off just eight times and was able to score three times.

Auburn must counter Jalen Milroe, Alabama offense with elite linebacker play

Auburn is going to have a chance to counter the Alabama run game and he believes the linebackers will play a big role. With all of the different options available to Milroe and the running backs, McElroy believes trusting eyes and staying disciplined will be key.

“I think it’s their linebackers,” McElroy said. “Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod, they’ve combined for 18 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Those guys are going to have a really big responsibility. Because Alabama is going to run the ball with Jase McClellan, they’re going to run the ball with Roydell Williams. They’re going to run the ball with Jalen Milroe.

“Those linebackers have to be really disciplined and trust their eyes. Because there are going to be some RPOs, there are going to be some things going in one direction and then they go back the other way… Those two guys, in particular, have to be elite for Auburn to slow down this Alabama offense.”

In the shocking loss to New Mexico State, the Aggies rushed for over 200 yards, allowing them to control the clock and eventually pull off the upset. Auburn had done a good job before then stopping the run during a three-game SEC win streak, seeing an average of 134.7 rushing yards go against them.