Local football fans predict who will win this year's Iron Bowl and the final score

Few will argue that when it comes to college football rivalry games, there is no bigger rivalry anywhere than the Iron Bowl, the annual meeting between the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers.

This year’s Iron Bowl, which will kick off Saturday at 6:45 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, is shaping up to be a good one. Alabama enters the game with a 10-1 record and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Auburn, ranked No. 14 in the country, enters the game with an 8-3 overall record and looking to upset their archrivals.

Leading up to the game this week, The Courant polled a wide variety of local football fans to see how they thought the game would turn out on Saturday, and there were no shortage of opinions. The vast majority of prognosticators believe that Alabama will win, but more than a few predicted that Auburn would carry the day. Some said it would be close while others predicted a blowout.

Over at Hillcrest High School in Evergreen, head girls basketball coach Natalie Nelson, a former Auburn University-Montgomery basketball star, predicted Auburn to upset the Tide, 31-27. Assistant coach Arthur Ingram III agreed, saying that Auburn would win 38-33.

Elsewhere on the campus at Hillcrest, track and field coach Harrison Mims, a cousin to Auburn former defensive lineman Nick Fairley, predicted Alabama would win, 38-17. Band director LaFrancis Davis agreed, saying the Tide would roll, 24-14. Assistant coach Derek Korbe predicted a 48-21 Alabama win.

Local school board member Willene Whatley, a diehard Auburn fan, predicted Auburn would win, 35-32, but Robbie Moorer, arguably Conecuh County’s biggest Auburn fan, predicted that Alabama would win, 38-17.

A number of other self-proclaimed, life-long Auburn fans predicted an Alabama win on Saturday, including “100 Percent Auburn fan” Donnie Ricketts, who said the Tide would win, 48-17. Over at the National Guard armory in Andalusia, Auburn fan Chris Garner, a former standout athlete at Sparta, predicted Alabama would win, 42-30.

Auburn fan Justin Nared, who starred at quarterback at Hillcrest and Tuskegee University, said that Alabama would come out ahead, 38-35. His sister, Auburn fan Courtney Nared-Lowe, begrudgingly agreed, predicting Alabama will win 34-14.

Over at the Conecuh County Jail, it was a split decision. Deputy Chad Emmons said he was sticking with Auburn and predicted the Tigers would win, 24-21. Dispatcher Audra Covin disagreed, saying Alabama will win, 31-28.

Down at the Wolff Motor Co. car lot, salesman and Auburn fan Carl Tillery predicted Auburn will win, 26-23, in overtime. Next door, at the radio station, local radio personality Luther Upton predicted that Alabama will win, 39-17.

At Evergreen City Hall, City Attorney Richard Hartley predicted that Alabama would win, 31-24, and City Economic Development Director Bobby Skipper predicted a 9-3 Alabama win. Local grant writer Cara Stallman predicted this year that Alabama would win, 45-38. Stallman’s opinion carries more than a little weight this year, because, as many of you will remember, she most closely predicted the final score of Auburn’s upset of Alabama in last year’s Iron Bowl.

Up the street a bit, attorney and Alabama grad Tommy Chapman predicted the Tide to roll, 45-10, and Assistant District Attorney Todd Watson agreed, saying Alabama would win, 42-17. Around the corner at Miller Trading Co., Alabama fan Justin “Detroit” Webb said Alabama was going to win, 38-23.

Former Sparta basketball standout Michael Campbell disagreed. He predicted a 35-28 Auburn win as did former Hillcrest Jaguar Jeff Hallford, who said Auburn will win, 38-35.

Former Hillcrest baseball pitcher Marc Barlow said Alabama will win, 35-21, and former Sparta baseball pitcher Tristan McPhaul agreed, saying Alabama would win, 34-24. Former Sparta coach Clint Lowery predicated a 23-17 Alabama win, and Evergreen native Keith Pugh, who played wide receiver at Alabama, predicted that Alabama will win, 27-14.

Media representatives from around the area also chimed in with their predictions. Courant publisher and editor Robert Bozeman predicted a 37-17 Alabama victory. Over at The Monroe Journal, editor Mike Qualls, who’s been covering sports for decades, predicted a 35-7 Alabama win. Monroe Journal staff writer Josh Dewberry agreed, predicting the Tide will win, 56-13.

Sports writer Ross Wood at The Clarke County Democrat in Grove Hill predicted a 35-14 Alabama win while sports writer Adam Robinson at The Brewton Standard predicted a 30-20 Alabama win. Retired Auburn journalism professor Ed Williams, a native of Evergreen, said Alabama will win, 35-10.

Others making predictions included: 

Bo Minchew, Alabama, 52-0; 

Jimmy Grantham, Alabama, 45-24; 

Linda McLaughlin, Alabama, 45-14; 

Stephen Pierce, Alabama, 42-24; 

Chris Davis, Alabama, 42-14; 

Mike Williams, Alabama, 42-7; 

Cindy Anderson, Alabama, 35-24; 

Chris Coleman, Alabama, 35-17; 

Reginald Hunt, Alabama, 35-10; 

Robert Sims, Alabama, 34-24; 

Brandon Lee, Alabama, 34-24; 

George Jones, Alabama, 34-10; 

Randy Silcox, Alabama, 31-17; 

Travis Presley, Alabama, 27-20; 

David Johnson, Alabama, 27-17; 

Kurt Myers, Alabama, 24-17; 

Cameron Barfield, Alabama, 21-13; 

Steven Dunn, Alabama, 20-14;

Renee Staff, Alabama, 17-10; 

Regina Waters, Alabama, 34-21; 

Mike McIntyre, Alabama, 59-0; 

Tracy Logan, Auburn, 34-31; 

Nick Watson, Auburn, 38-34; 

Shaw Evans, Auburn, 21-17; 

Carlton Waters, Alabama, 48-14; 

Danny Joyner, Alabama, 48-10; 

Josh Reeves, Alabama, 42-17; 

Brian Crandall, Alabama, 41-14; 

Jesse Jordan, Alabama, 38-28; 

Justin Riley, Alabama, 38-21; 

Butch Cobb, Alabama, 38-17; 

Stephen Riley, Alabama, 35-17; 

Billy Kendall, Alabama, 34-20; 

Chris Lanier, Alabama, 31-27; 

Ronnie Davis, Alabama, 31-20; 

Sherdrick Rankin, Alabama, 31-10; 

Roy Lowery, Alabama, 30-24; 

Joye Fordham, Alabama, 28-21; 

Sean Klaetsch, Alabama, 28-14; 

Gary Wayne Pate, Alabama, 28-3; 

Debbie McCulley, Alabama, 27-14;

Lavon Lee, Alabama, 21-3.

Last, but not least, Evergreen City Clerk Mary Jackson jokingly said she would have to decline to predict the final score because her superstitions get the better of her sometimes.

“I don't do predictions or bet on Alabama,” she said. “Because it always turns out unfavorable. However, since I'm not an Auburn fan, I will predict their fate. They’ll lose by 17.”