For most Alabama fans the biggest game of the season is without question the Iron Bowl. Auburn is Alabama's biggest rival and most important game in the eyes of the fans, but according to Tide coach Nick Saban that may not be the case for the players.
Videos by FanBuzz
Via AL.com:
"I think you get very quickly a feel for what your own players on your own team, even that were here before you came here, what's important to them," said Saban. "And it was very obvious to me that the Tennessee game was always the biggest game. It was always the biggest game for us."
Saban went on to say he wasn't trying to disrespect the Iron Bowl, but just that he thinks the Tennessee game has always had more importance.
RELATED: Saban talks about 'never quitting a team' in wake of Barnett transfer
Tennessee has always been an important rivalry for Alabama, but bigger than Auburn? Both games are big rivalries in the SEC, but it just seems like blasphemy to try and put something over the Iron Bowl. It seems even weirder since Tennessee has mostly been down ever since Saban got to Tuscaloosa; Alabama has been the Vols every year under Saban, and most of those games haven't been close.
Maybe Saban is just trying to rile up the Auburn fans while he can, but maybe he just has the insight from his previous players that we just don't see.
