"People here cannot stand Alabama": Jackson Arnold reveals craze of Iron Bowl rivalry at Auburn while spilling beams on unique rule at facility 

Jackson Arnold is making himself at home at the Auburn Tigers, preparing for what is going to be an essential season for both himself and the program.

Arnold transferred to Auburn from Oklahoma during the transfer portal, where he led them in their first season in the SEC. Something that both Oklahoma and Auburn share is a historic and bitter rivalry game against a more successful opponent.

For Oklahoma, this is the Red River against the Texas Longhorns, while Auburn has the Iron Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In a recent interview with On3, Arnold gave some insights into just how intense the Iron Bowl rivalry is.

“I think the people here cannot stand Alabama. It’s unbelievable. OU/Texas is very similar though, it’s not far off. I feel like those are probably the two best rivalries in college football. But if you mention Alabama here they’ll look at you funny.. We even have a rule that you can’t wear red in our facility at all. If you do, you lose points and have to do up-downs and stuff.”

The Iron Bowl is regarded as one of college football's biggest rivalries and is the biggest in-state rivalry game. Played every season, this is normally the last game of both teams' SEC regular seasons, which only increases the stakes. A win in this game could be enough to send one team to the conference championship game and/or the CFP, or it could prevent the opponent from doing so.

The rivalry has a very passionate fan base, and as Arnold's remarks indicate, this passion is reflected in the programs themselves.

However, while the Auburn team and fan base are hopeful that they will be able to beat Bama, their form in this game does not give them much to write home about.

The Crimson Tide has won 51 meetings (including the last five) to Auburn's 37. The last time Auburn beat their rivals was in 2019, in a 48-45 thriller with Bo Nix as their quarterback.

If Jackson Arnold is going to make himself into a top NFL draft contender, a win against the Alabama Crimson Tide in November will help him a lot.

Jackson Arnold vs. Alabama in 2024

Arnold spent two seasons as the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners but was not able to establish himself in the program.

During the 2024 season, he threw for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns in a Sooners program that struggled in the SEC.

He did play against the Crimson Tide that season, in a game that the Sooners won 24-3. But the Sooners' passing game did not help them here, with Arnold throwing for 68 yards. Luckily, the 131 yards he ran for led the team and helped the Sooners to a surprise win over Alabama, something he will want to do again this season with Auburn.