Nick Saban admits ‘reality check’ for Alabama after near-loss vs. Auburn

Nick Saban said the showing against Auburn is a reality check for Alabama ahead of the SEC championship next week.

The Alabama football program escaped with a 27-24 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, and head coach Nick Saban got real about the lesson his team needs to learn from the game.

“It's kind of a reality check,” Nick Saban said, via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports. “That's what I told the team afterwards.”

Alabama was one play from picking up its second loss on the season and all but ending any hope for the College Football Playoff, but then Jalen Milroe connected with Isaiah Bond on a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to give the Crimson Tide the lead.

It was a miracle win for Alabama , and Saban's team heads into the SEC championship game against Georgia next week with College Football Playoff hopes intact. It would take an upset to beat Georgia, but if the Crimson Tide are able to pull it off, Isaiah Bond's catch will go down as one of the most meaningful plays in Alabama history.

Saban is undoubtedly upset with his team's performance this week, despite the win. His team has steadily improved throughout the season, and has looked dangerous as of late. The performance against Auburn was hopefully just a blip, because that type of showing will not be good enough against a team like Georgia.

It will be interesting to see how Saban's team fares. He is used to bringing his team to the SEC championship as a favorite. This time being an underdog, Saban will undoubtedly do all he can to motivate his team.