Alabama will not be playing in this season's BCS championship or the Southeastern Conference title game, but that doesn't mean the Crimson Tide are out of meaningful contests.
On Friday afternoon, Alabama will host undefeated Auburn in one of the most anticipated Iron Bowls ever.
"There aren't too many games that are bigger than the Iron Bowl, other than maybe the national championship," Alabama sophomore linebacker Dont'a Hightower said Sunday. "Even people in this state would beg to differ that they would rather win the Iron Bowl than the national championship, so this game means a lot to us."
BCS STANDINGS1. Oregon2. Auburn3. TCU4. Boise State5. LSU6. Stanford7. Wisconsin8. Ohio State9. Oklahoma State10. Michigan State
It meant a lot to Auburn last season, when the unranked Tigers led the eventual national champions for more than 58 minutes at Jordan-Hare Stadium before succumbing 26-21. Now Alabama, which began the year as the pick to repeat last season's crown but lost at South Carolina and at LSU, must try and derail an Auburn team that is No. 2 in the BCS standings.
The Tide can put a potentially lethal dent in Auburn's national aspirations, but they don't want to consider themselves spoilers.
"We're not really worried about them," said senior quarterback Greg McElroy, who will be playing his final game before nearly 102,000 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. "Obviously they've had a great year, but we are not out for revenge or anything of that nature. We're just trying to make the most of our opportunity, regardless of what Auburn's record might be."
Auburn has won 12 consecutive games dating back to its 38-35 overtime outlasting of Northwestern in last season's Outback Bowl. Alabama has won 20 straight games at Bryant-Denny, amassing 43 rushing touchdowns during this stretch while allowing only one.
The Tigers are led by junior quarterback Cam Newton, who leads the SEC in rushing yardage and pass efficiency. He is the first in league history to amass 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, and he's surpassed 150 rushing yards five times against conference opposition.
Auburn leads the league with 42.8 points per game, while Alabama leads the league by holding foes to 12.8 points per game.
"They have a great offense and we have a great defense, so we feel real confident in that matchup," McElroy said. "As far as our approach, we just need to be methodical, score points and make the most out of every opportunity. Every time we get in the red zone, we have to try to get points out of it, whether it's a touchdown or a field goal."
Tide coach Nick Saban praised Auburn's offense, calling it well-conceived. He said Newton has excellent versatility but quickly veered from commenting on the pay-for-play allegations concerning the Heisman Trophy favorite, saying, "The focus this week is on the Alabama-Auburn game. It's not about anything that's going on outside."
Alabama practiced Sunday for the first time since last Thursday's 63-7 dismantling of Georgia State. Right guard Barrett Jones remains hobbled by the high-ankle sprain he suffered during the 30-10 whipping of Mississippi State on Nov. 13, but Saban is hopeful he can play.
The Tide have won two straight Iron Bowls after losing six in a row and lead the overall series 40-33-1.
"This year we are obviously playing for something a little different," McElroy said. "We understand that, but what we're playing for is still something very impactful on the season. We can walk away feeling very good about ourselves with a 10-2 regular season. That is no easy task in the SEC."