Watch Iron Bowl on Sunday

If you are looking for something to do on Sunday, you might want to watch the Iron Bowl. This college football match-up features two teams with plenty of talent, but each has a few things going for it that could make it a close one.

Alabama dominates the line of scrimmage

The Alabama Crimson Tide have been a dominant force on the line of scrimmage in the Iron Bowl since they won it last year. Their defense has piled up four stops behind the line of scrimmage.

One of the best examples of this was when Alabama's Eddie Jackson returned three interceptions for touchdowns. It was the first time the Tide had given up a score in 12 quarters.

Another example of a winning game plan was when Alabama "killed" Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. Instead of trying to run up the field, the Tide relied on their secondary to press the Aggie receivers.

Another highlight of the game was Cyrus Jones, who took two punts and turned them into touchdowns. He also had an interception in the red zone.

The Tide was able to pull away in the second half. They held the Vols to just 3-20 on third down conversions.

Alabama is now ranked number one in the SEC. Their offensive line is the best in the league. In the past week alone they scored on all four of their drives.

But they have not been very good on the ground this season. Their defense is giving up 77 yards per game.

Auburn has two running backs with more than 100 rushing yards

Auburn has two running backs with more than 100 rushing yards in a single game: Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter. While it's true that the Tigers haven't been at their best lately, the run has come to be a crucial part of their attack. Especially in recent games against Texas A&M and Western Kentucky, the Tigers have shown a propensity for leaning on their ground game.

Jarquez Hunter was the star of Auburn's historic rushing performance. The Tigers rushed for over 100 yards for the third straight game, racking up a season high 134 yards on just 11 carries.

In the process, Hunter set the standard for Auburn's rushing performance in 2018. After finishing his freshman campaign with 224 yards and three touchdowns against Georgia Tech, he finished his second season with 675 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also led the Tigers in receptions (32), receiving yards (549), catches (55), and TDs (5).

This was a good sign for the Tigers, as it allowed quarterback Robby Ashford to score on both of his carries. Ashford had 121 yards and two touchdowns in the win, a feat that hadn't been achieved in the Iron Bowl since 2003.

Alabama's quarterback has been sacked 16 times this season

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is dealing with a sprain in his throwing shoulder. He left last weekend's game against Arkansas and is working to get full medical clearance. This is a big concern for a player who could be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.

Alabama's offense was in trouble early against Georgia. They were down 28-0 in the second quarter. On the first play of the second half, Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts as the starter. In the third quarter, the Crimson Tide were driving down the field, but on a fourth-and-1, Ja'Tavion Sanders was stopped at the Texas 20-yard line.

Young got the ball back and fired up his offensive line. The play resulted in a 52-yard field goal. A couple of plays later, Young threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Corey Brooks.

Later in the fourth quarter, Alabama scored its first of two fourth-quarter leads. On the next drive, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a 76-yard touchdown. That gave Alabama a 24-21 lead with 6:55 to go.

But Alabama's momentum was short-lived. Less than a minute later, Young was sacked again. Rather than a sack, it was a hurried throw to the sideline.

After the game, Nick Saban said that Young "had a sprained shoulder," but he was not worried about the injury. It was a good thing that Young was able to play.

Auburn has a slippery field on a rainy day

If you're watching the Iron Bowl this Thanksgiving, you may find yourself wondering what the weather will be like. After all, it's one of the most unpredictable games of the season.

It's expected to be mostly sunny. However, there is a chance of rain. A local forecast calls for a 50% chance of rain Thursday and a 100% chance of rain Friday. This may not sound like much, but on an Iron Bowl game, the chances of the field being muddy are significant.

The weather should clear up on Saturday, but if the rain holds off, fans will be treated to a day that includes high temperatures in the mid-60s. In fact, it's a good idea to pack a sweater.

The game is set to begin at 6:45 p.m., and the stadium gates will open at noon. Auburn will play Alabama tomorrow night inside Auburn Arena. Those who aren't in the stadium will be able to watch the game on the CBS television network.

The field has a reputation for being a mess on a wet day, especially when it's late in the season. Fortunately for Auburn, the maintenance crew is up to the challenge. They've been given special water cleats from Under Armor, as well as extra sprinkler exposure.

Alabama's defense has forced 12 fumbles and recovered seven with one for a touchdown

The Iron Bowl will be played between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the third consecutive season that the two rivals will face off in this event. In the past two years, the Alabama defense has been known to create takeaways. It has scored three times off Texas A&M interceptions.

Auburn slowed down the Crimson Tide in the second half. They held the nation's leading rusher Leonard Fournette to 31 yards. On the other hand, the Tigers' offense was still a long way off. Nevertheless, the Tigers managed to get one first down after the Ingram fumble.

Nick Fairley sacked Bama quarterback Greg McElroy with less than a minute left in the first half. On the same play, Nosa Eguae forced a McElroy incompletion.

Alabama's offense quickly moved into the red zone. But the Crimson Tide's defense held them to three first downs. Fortunately, the score was still 7-0 at the break.

The Alabama offense remained a force with Derrick Henry, who led the team with 204 yards. The Tigers' offense did not score a touchdown, although they did outgain the Crimson Tide 393-379.

Despite a strong performance from the Tigers, the Crimson Tide still dominated the turnover margin. Besides the fumbles, the Crimson Tide only gave up four giveaways, and only had three interceptions.

Alabama's quarterback has a knack for avoiding the pass rush

The Alabama Crimson Tide may be 9-2 and ranked eighth in the AP Top 25, but it isn't playing the type of high-powered offense we've come to expect from the SEC. Their passing game isn't very effective and they haven't found any way to stop Auburn's running attack. This is where Carnell Williams came in and turned them into a real contender.

For the first time in history, Alabama lost a big game. In fact, this is the first time the Tide has lost a significant lead in the Iron Bowl.

During the second half, Bama adjusted on defense. They took care of the pass rush in the red zone and forced five three-and-outs against Mississippi State. However, they didn't convert a third down in the last three quarters. That's a bit of a letdown considering their performance in the first half.

While it's true that Alabama's quarterback has a knack for avoiding the pass rush in the Iron Bowl, there are plenty of questions surrounding the overall performance of their team. One of them is whether or not Jones has positioned himself to take over as the Tide's starting quarterback next season.

While Jones led the way in the first half, it was the Tigers' secondary that kept Bama out of the end zone. It was a testament to the stout defensive effort by Nick Fairley and Antoine Carter.

Alabama's offense has been sorely lacking in the receivers division

A lot of people would be surprised to learn that the Alabama offense is sorely lacking in the receivers division. It was once thought that the Crimson Tide's passing game would be led by quarterback Mac Jones, but that will no longer be the case. This year's offense is expected to be a lot more efficient, but it will not be able to produce any big-plays. Nonetheless, the Crimson Tide's defense will remain a national power.

Last season, the Alabama offensive line was the best in the SEC. The offense had a lot of success on the ground. Running backs Kavosiey Smoke and Chris Rodriguez Jr. both averaged 6.4 yards per carry, and they combined for 24 touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterback Bryce Young was the second coming of Russell Wilson.

Of course, there will still be plenty of turnover on this year's offensive roster. Eight new starters will make their debut this season, and they will be joined by a new play caller. That will make for a different look than what fans have seen in the last few years. Moreover, the team will also be without two of its top three quarterbacks from last season. However, there is good news: Isaiah Spiller and Demanuel Richardson are joining the Tide's 2019 recruiting class.