Nick Saban was a greedy idiot when he kept an already banged-up Tua Tagovailoa still in the game with a 35-7 lead against Mississippi State two weeks ago.
Now the hammer comes down on Alabama. 
I always thought talent-wise Auburn could match Alabama at nearly every position - except quarterback. That now is evened-out if not to Auburn's advantage with Tagovailoa sidelined. Freshman Bo Nix has improved throughout the season. He's on the verge of setting an Auburn freshman passing record for most touchdown throws and yards. 
Sophomore quarterback Mac Jones will be making his first road start. Jones has put up good numbers replacing the injured Tagovailoa, but Auburn is not Western Carolina. The Tigers have maybe the best defensive front in college. Auburn ranks 14th in the nation in total defense and 11th in scoring defense permitting just 16.2 points a game. No opponent has scored more than 24 points against the Tigers.
Alabama's defense isn't the force of previous seasons relying more on takeaways than dominance. Some quarterbacks could throw on Alabama. Joe Burrow probably clinched the Heisman Trophy by passing for 393 yards and three TD's versus the Crimson Tide while completing 31 of 39 passes. 
Burrow led LSU to a 46-41 road win against Alabama. By comparison, Auburn played at LSU and lost, 23-20. 

(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is 113-76-1 on his premium/free college football plays the past two years. Stephen has is strongest card of the season going today with five premium CFB plays, including his Mountain West Game of the Year and Total of the Year. Stephen is killing it in basketball, too, winning 22 of his last 29 NBA premium plays and going 44-22-1 on his last 67 college basketball plays the past two seasons. Stephen has NBA and CBB plays going today, too.)