Iron Bowl Classic: Alabama Beats Auburn On Miracle TD Pass In CBS' Last SEC Regular Season Game, And One To Remember

Alabama coach Nick Saban dissed the notion that weird things happen when Alabama plays at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium last week on his radio show.

Now, he's a believer for life.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe celebrates the Crimson Tide's unlikely last-minute, 27-24 win at Auburn Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Facing a 4th-and-goal from Auburn's 31-yard line, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the left corner of the end zone and hit him for a touchdown with 32 seconds to play for a 27-24 win at Jordan-Hare.

Nick Saban nearly tasted a major upset to unranked and 6-5 Auburn on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, but pulled out a 27-24 win to keep the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff hopes alive. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"You know, there's been some weird stuff happen here," Saban admitted on CBS moments after the game. "And this is the first time I can remember it going in our favor."

Just last Wednesday, Saban said this: "People talk about this weird stuff all the time, and I don't see it. People who think weird stuff happens, weird stuff happens."

Well, weird stuff happens, for sure. Before the game-winning play, Alabama had 0.1 percent chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.

Nick Saban Believes In That Weird Thing About Jordan-Hare

Ten years ago on Nov. 30, 2013, No. 4 Auburn upset No. 1 Alabama, 34-28, on Chris Davis' 109-yard TD return of a missed Alabama 57-yard field goal on the last play of the game. That became immortalized as "Kick Six."

Auburn also won in Jordan-Hare, 26-14, in 2017 with a 16-0 rally from early in the third quarter on and 48-45 in a 2019 thriller. It took four overtimes at Jordan-Hare in 2021 for Alabama to win 24-22.

Call this one, "4th-And-31."

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe avoids the rush during the Tide's win at Auburn Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"We always keep thinking, 'We've seen it all, and we never have. Have we?," said CBS game analyst Gary Danielson just before signing off for the last time on a CBS SEC regular season game. The SEC will move to ESPN and ABC for live game coverage beginning in the 2024 season.

"Believe it or not, we work on that," Saban said of Milroe's touchdown pass to Bond - Isaiah Bond "But it was just a great throw by Jalen and a great catch by Isaiah. I mean, we work on it, but you're throwing it up for grabs, really. We came down with it. This is a great win for our team. It's a great win for our state. It's a great win for our fans."

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe Found WR Isaiah Bond For TD

Milroe had 6.2 seconds to look over the end zone before unleashing the pass as Auburn rushed only two players with one spy at the line. Three or four seconds is considered plenty of time to pass. Milroe looked right, moved his eyes across the field, and let it fly to the left corner for Bond. Auburn senior cornerback D.J. James had Bond well covered. But Milroe led Bond perfectly to Bond's right.

"Never give up," Milroe said. "Always fall back to your level of training. Mental toughness - that's what's going to get you through a game. Not one quarter, two quarters, three quarters. It's going to take all 60 minutes. Finish. It's all about finishing, executing the play. Roll Tide!"

Auburn trailed Alabama 17-14 at halftime, but was beating the Tide at the line of scrimmage. Auburn's 181 rushing yards in the first half were the most allowed by a Saban-coached Alabama team ever. Then Auburn outscored Alabama, 10-3, in the second half to take a 24-20 lead ... before the play.

Auburn had the game in hand with under five minutes to go, but wide receiver/punt returner Koy Moore slipped just before muffing a punt return catch with 4:48 left.

Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell recovered at Auburn's 30. The Tide drove to a 1st-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Then the Tide went backwards. Alabama lost 18 yards on a bad shotgun snap that went by Milroe. He ran back and recovered it at the Auburn 26-yard-line, setting up a 3rd-and-Goal from the Auburn 26. Milroe passed after crossing the line of scrimmage on the next play for a 5-yard penalty, setting up the 4th-And-Goal from the 31.

Crimson Tide Moves On To SEC Title Game Vs. Georgia

No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0 SEC) next plays on Saturday (4 p.m., CBS) in the SEC Championship Game against No. 1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC), which beat Georgia Tech, 31-23, Saturday night.

A victory over Georgia could possibly vault Alabama into the last four-team College Football Playoff this season. The CFP format goes to 12 teams next season.

"When you don't play well and win, that might not be a good thing," Saban said. "We've got to look at our resolve a little bit. We didn't play very well on defense. But for next week, we've got to do better."

Auburn finished 6-6 and 3-5 in the first season of coach Hugh Freeze, who will not forget this Iron Bowl one any time soon.

"You look around, and that's exactly what it is right there (epic)," Milroe said. "The atmosphere, just how tense everyone one is. It's everything that comes with it."

Jalen Milroe became just the only player in Alabama history other than Jalen Hurts to throw for 250 yards or more and rush for 100 or more in a game. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 107 more on 18 carries.

He also became the first player in history to complete a 4th-and-31 pass to win an Iron Bowl.

Over the last two seasons in all of college football, teams were 0-for-90 on 3rd or 4th down with 30 or more yards to go.

Make that 1-for-91.

And 1-for-1 in the Iron Bowl.