Auburn-Alabama final score: 3 things we learned from the Tide's 55-44 win

Missouri is now the only team standing between Alabama and the playoff.

Both Auburn and Alabama have built their offensive identities around the run, even if they approach it differently. Saturday's Iron Bowl was different: it was the passing games that starred. Deep pass after deep pass rained down from the sky as star wide receivers Sammie Coates and Amari Cooper traded blows in Tuscaloosa, each topping 200 yards. The Tide won 55-44 in the highest scoring Iron Bowl in history.

Auburn was able to move the ball with relative ease in the first half, but struggled as they got close to the Alabama end zone. Their first 12 plays inside the opposing 10 went for two yards, resulting in three field goals and a 14-9 lead.

The Tigers were able to solve that problem with one quick fix: score from farther away! After Blake Sims threw an interception, Nick Marshall connected with Sammie Coates for a 34-yard score to take the lead. T.J. Yeldon pounded it in to give Alabama the lead back, but then Marshall and Coates struck again:

Sims threw his third interception of the game near the start of the third quarter, leading to an Auburn touchdown and a 33-21 Tigers lead. The Tide quarterback at least partially redeemed himself on the next drive, converting on fourth down and then finding Cooper for the 39-yard score.

Just a few minutes later, the Sims-to-Cooper connection struck again. The quarterback found his star deep in one-on-one coverage late in the third, connecting for the 75-yard touchdown to make it a two-point game.

via ESPN

After Marshall's first interception of the game, Sims ran it in for the touchdown and the lead in the fourth quarter. Alabama scored two more touchdowns in the period, closing out the victory.

Three things we learned

1. Barring disaster, Alabama is playoff bound. The Tide still have one last hurdle to pass. Alabama already had their place in the SEC Championship Game vs. Missouri locked in before kick-off, and that's now the only thing between them and a likely No. 1 seed in the inaugural playoff. The Tide's lone loss came to Ole Miss, perhaps the top defense in the nation, and this win slots nicely with Mississippi State as their marquee victories from the regular season.

And woo-eee, that second half. Alabama outscored Auburn 34-18 after halftime, completely outclassing a very good (and very game) Tigers squad. Whichever team has to deal with this Tide team in the playoff -- we're sorry.

2. Amari Cooper should be a Heisman finalist. We knew he was good. We knew he was probably the best receiver in the country. But Amari Cooper so firmly positioned himself as the far-and-away best at what he does in the entire dang country that it will be hard to keep him from New York City. He set an Iron Bowl record in three quarters Saturday, routinely beating the Auburn secondary in every sort of coverage.

Cooper finished the day with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. This was his third 200-yard receiving game of the season and second with three receiving touchdowns.

3. As long as these two coaches are around, this game is going to be fun. Last year we got the Kick Six. This year we saw a more vertical version of this matchup, with Sims/Marshall and Cooper/Coates providing highlight plays throughout. Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn's styles lend themselves perfectly to these kind of entertaining games, and next year's edition should also be a hoot.

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