This first appeared in Kevin Scarbinsky’s weekly newsletter. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Thursday, $5/month or $50/year.

No offense to Kentucky, Chattanooga, Arkansas and New Mexico State, but we have reached that point in the college football season where everyone on the Alabama and Auburn schedules between now and Nov. 25th is clutter.

With LSU’s remains in its rearview mirror, Alabama is back in its familiar place as the SEC West frontrunner on a collision course with Georgia. The Crimson Tide will clinch the division with a win Saturday at Kentucky.

With two straight conference wins adding wind to its sails, Auburn is back above .500 overall with an excellent opportunity to stretch its streak to four. Saturday’s Arkansas visit is no gimme, but unlike the Florida team the Hogs just stunned in Gainesville, the Tigers actually play defense.

Barring something shocking in the interim, Alabama will invade Jordan-Hare Stadium at 10-1 overall and 7-0 in the SEC. Auburn will be waiting at 7-4 and 3-4 with a head coach in Hugh Freeze who already has two Nick Saban notches on his belt. No doubt Auburn Jesus will be poised to make an appearance when you least expect it.

Iron Bowls on the Plains are a marvelous environment for mischief. Ask Saban. The GOAT has a losing record there overall at 4-7. His LSU teams went 0-3 in the House that Bo Rebuilt. His 2021 Alabama team needed Bryce Young’s Heisman moment and four overtimes to pull even at 4-4 there in his Crimson Tide tenure.