Will First 2025 Iron Bowl of Basketball be No. 1 vs. No. 2? Just a Minute

There is potential for the much-anticipated Feb. 15 game between Alabama and Auburn to be even bigger.

Feb 1, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama center Clifford Omoruyi (11) comes out of the locker room for the Georgia game at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On February 15, Coleman Coliseum will play host to one of the biggest college basketball games of the SEC season. No. 1 Auburn, which still has just one defeat on its overall record this season, will clash with No. 4 Alabama in the first of two regular season meetings between the two Iron Bowl rivals.

This past Saturday, both teams were victorious against conference opposition; Alabama defeated Georgia 90-69 and Auburn defeated No. 23 Ole Miss 92-82. Elsewhere on that day, No. 3 Iowa State was dealt an 80-61 loss at the hands of Kansas State, making it a very strong likelihood that the Crimson Tide will be able to move up to the AP Poll's No. 3 spot in this week's new rankings.

The No. 2 team in the rankings is Duke, headlined by freshman sensation Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils handled North Carolina on Saturday and are one of the nation's best teams. Furthermore, Alabama and Auburn would probably have to get through their contests up to Feb. 15 unscathed depending on the rest of the landscape, and Duke (which is the team that beat Auburn) plays in a weaker league.

However, if the stars align in such a way that the Iron Bowl of Basketball is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, it would be one of the biggest and most anticipated games in the state's basketball history. Head coaches Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl have elevated their respective programs to heights fans previously only dreamed of, with the former coming off taking his team to its first Final Four appearance in program history last season.