AUBURN, Ala. – It's Iron Bowl week. On Saturday, Auburn and Alabama will square off for the 83rd time in what is considered the best rivalry in college football.
With Alabama ranked No. 1 in the country, Auburn comes in as a heavy underdog. But the Tigers have been in this position before. They were underdogs in 2013 when won on the Kick Six, and they were underdogs again last year when they beat the Crimson Tide, 26-14.
"It's the Iron Bowl," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said Tueday. "We don't have to bring anything up. This is a game our guys look forward to, their guys look forward to. When we beat them the last two times, we probably weren't the favorite so we'll see what happens.
"You've got to raise your level in this game. You've got to raise your level and you've got to find a way to get it done and you've got to be balanced to have a chance to beat them. We know each other very well and we know what we've got to be able to do. But you've got to do it. You've got to raise your level to be able to do it."
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on CBS. Here are some of the other highlights from Malzahn's weekly press conference.
Beating Alabama last year
"I think it means a whole lot. We do have a bunch of players that played last year. Any time you play the Iron Bowl, really what stands out to me is it's a physical test on both sides. It's football at its highest (level). The fact that we've got a lot of guys that have been a part of it does nothing but help us this year, especially going on the road."
Keys on offense
"You've got to have big plays. If you're going to have a chance to beat them, we have to have big plays. Whether it's in the run game or pass game, it doesn't matter. That's the formula. And you've got to be good on third down. Last year we were really good on third down, and that was a big difference. That will be a big key – third down and keeping drives alive and giving us more opportunities. That's going to be a big key."
Alabama scouting report
"They are the No. 3 team in the country offensively, which really stands out to me playing in this league against the defenses that they've faced. That's very impressive. Their quarterback's playing at an extremely high level, protecting the football, throwing the football. They also have one of the better quarterbacks in the country as a backup. When you look at them running the football, they're very impressive with their yards per carry.
"Defensively, I believe they're No. 7 in the country. They've got a very good front. No. 92 (Quinnen Williams) is playing at an extremely high level. He's very concerning in the run game and probably even more concerning in the pass game. He does a good job of getting pressure up front. That's what really stands out to me. Their back end, they've got a lot of speed like normal.
"You look at their special teams and they've got electric returners in the punt return game and the kickoff return game. So it'll be a big challenge but we're definitely looking forward to it."
Injury report
Auburn defensive lineman Nick Coe (wrist) will play against Alabama.
"Nick Coe is one of the better defensive linemen in our league and to have him out there and his presence is really big, especially playing against an offense like this that presents the challenges that they present."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf