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Alabama will not take Auburn for granted

Nov 29, 2008 - 12:09 PM Auburn (5-6) at (1) Alabama (11-0), 3:30 pm EST

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Ticker) -- Before top-ranked Alabama faces Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game, there is the not-so-small matter of regaining state bragging rights.

The undefeated Crimson Tide look to snap a record six-game losing against rival Auburn on Saturday in the latest edition of the Iron Bowl.

"We've lost to them six years in a row, and I think that's the biggest task that we have right now - to get that monkey off our backs," Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said.

In a state that eats, sleeps and breathes football, beating Auburn is only slightly less important that battling for a national title.

Alabama hasn't beaten the Tigers since 2001, and it's one of the reasons former coach Mike Shula was fired.

Given Alabama's inability to beat Auburn since 2001, there is no chance the Crimson Tide will look past Saturday's contest.

"This is one week where I won't have to say anything to motivate these guys," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

If Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC West) doesn't get it done this season, however, it may never beat Auburn. The Tigers (5-6, 2-5) have endured an up-and-down campaign that could have coach Tommy Tuberville in danger of losing his job.

Saban dropped his first Iron Bowl game, 17-10, last year. The defeat completed a second-half collapse as the Crimson Tide lost their final four regular-season contests.

"I don't think anybody's going to overlook this Auburn game, just based on the past," Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "These past few years have been pretty bad. We'd love to turn things around."

Plagued by inconsistent quarterback play throughout the season, Auburn would love nothing more than to derail Alabama's national championship hopes.

However, the Tigers need to spring the upset just to become bowl eligible. If they don't, they will miss a bowl for the first time in nine years.

Alabama, of course, has loftier ambitions.

A win over Auburn would give the Crimson Tide an undefeated regular season and make next week's SEC title game essentially a semifinal for a berth in the national championship clash (assuming Florida beats Florida State on Saturday).

Alabama's 12-game winning streak is the second-longest active run in the Football Bowl Subdivision, trailing only Utah, which has won 13 in a row.

The Crimson Tide are looking to reach 12 wins for the first time since going 12-1 in 1994, also the last time they finished 8-0 in the SEC.