There is no doubt that the turmoil in the SEC is one of the more unexpected turn of events in the 2013 college football season. Eight weeks into the season, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina are all two games back in their divisions. Meanwhile Auburn, 3-9 a year ago, trails only Alabama in the race for the SEC West title.
For fans of the game’s most intense rivalry, the Iron Bowl, that could set up an Iron Bowl with a rare level of significance.
“If Auburn runs the table between now and Nov. 30 – and this team is good enough to do just that – and if Alabama doesn’t lose before then – mega-ditto for the Tide – we’ll be staring at the Iron Bowl to end all Iron Bowls,” wrote AL.com’s Kevin Scarbinsky. “Since 1992, when the conference expanded to 12 teams, the Tide and Tigers haven’t played each other with a berth in the SEC Championship Game on the line for both. Not one state championship game has doubled as the SEC West Championship Game.”
While many prognosticators expected expected Alabama to go unbeaten, Auburn has unexpectedly compiled a 6-1 record and has looked better than its remaining SEC foes (Arkansas, Tennessee, and Georgia). If both teams win out, the Iron Bowl game could be significantly more than simply the first competitive matchup between the two since 2010.