Mark Barron News

Roy UpA church's senior season hasn't gone the way he had hoped. He sprained an ankle early in AlaA bama's second game, and he wasn't much of a factor in subsequent games -- until Friday.

Alabama place-kicker Leigh Tiffin and punter/holder P.J. Fitzgerald could play a huge role in Saturday's SEC Championship Game.

For Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the last 52 weeks have been bookended by championship battles with Florida for the SEC Championship.

Alabama usually arrives at a stadium two hours before kickoff time. It arrived at Jordan-Hare Stadium 10-15 minutes late Friday because its buses from Montgomery were snarled in traffic as they tried to exit I-85. Maybe that's why the Tide didn't show up until late in the first quarter.

With 37 yards and five points to make up in one final second, Auburn's offense reached back into its bag of tricks, hoping it could find one more big play to pull off the shocker of the season against No.

What did we learn yesterday? Well, if nothing else, the Iron Bowl is back. To cap a decade filled with a one-sided streak and blowouts, Friday's showdown was a thriller that had an entire state -- and much of the nation's sporting landscape -- on edge for more than three hours.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama players took Saturday off and will do very little work today in an effort to recharge their mental batteries for this year's Southeastern Conference Championship Game.

Auburn unveiled a Vegas-worthy magic show of formations, gadgets and explosive plays, but Alabama performed a great escape of its own in Friday's Iron Bowl.

Alabama just made the Iron Bowl a 1-point game. Leigh Tiffin kicked a 31-yard field goal to cut Auburn's lead to 21-20 with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.

2 ALABAMA 11:21 a.m. Saturday Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa TV: SEC Network So there isn't much to tell you about this one that you probably don't already know.

If there's a 6-foot-5, 355-pound mammoth of a man walking the halls of the Auburn Athletic Complex these days, Ryan Pugh has yet to see him.

When: 11:21 a.m. today Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa Records: Alabama ; Tennessee-Chattanooga Line: Unavailable On the air: TV - SEC Network Radio -- WXFX-FM 95.1 FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY KEY MATCHUP Alabama S Mark Barron vs.

Toss a dart at any position on No. 2 Alabama's defense, and chances are you'll hit a candidate for a national or SEC honor.

Saturday will be the final game at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Javier Arenas and Alabama's other seniors .

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Tim Tebow tied the Southeastern Conference touchdown record and No.

The problem with Mark Barron is that he's athA letic and versatile. And that's a problem? It seemed to be last seaA son for Nick Saban.

No. 2 Alabama's sophomore free safety is settling into his relatively new position quite nicely after playing offense until his senior year in high school and backing up All-American Rashad Johnson last season.

Mark Barron made his fifth and six interceptions of the season, most in the Southeastern Conference, and helped the Crimson Tide smother the Bulldogs.

TUSCALOOSA -- He was a highly regarded tailback who played some at linebacker as a senior at Mobile's St.

Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram accounted for four touchdowns Saturday, leading second-ranked Alabama to a 31-3 SEC rout of Mississippi State.