Alabama WR Dismisses Nick Saban’s Warning While Rejecting Auburn Voodoo Ahead Of Business Trip

The transfer pass catcher is taking a business approach to a rivalry matchup with Auburn. In doing so, he’s dismissing the warnings of past Tide members, including Nick Saban.

Weird things happen on the Plains. Saban’s experienced it firsthand. Many of those moments have come on the biggest stage. The ball often bounces Auburn’s way when they play at home.

In the last decade alone, the venue has been home to some of college football’s wildest plays. The Kick Six, for example, is arguably the greatest play in sports history.

That miraculous finish not only kept Auburn’s national title hopes alive in its biggest game, but it came two weeks after another improbable walk-off win.

Other incredible moments include Cam Newton’s 2010 comeback, Bo Jackson’s game-winner in Bear Bryant’s final Iron Bowl, and Ed Scissum’s fumble in 1997, each of which required a little magic in Jordan-Hare.

Even some of the losses have been perplexing. An unranked Auburn squad took No. 3 Alabama to 4OT in a 2021 loss. Two years later, the Crimson Tide needed a 4th-and-31 completion on the final drive of the game to escape with a win.

Nick Saban went 12-5 in the Iron Bowl. He was 5-4 at Auburn, with three of those wins coming by five points or less.

In 2024, he called Jordan-Hare Stadium cursed.

“In my opinion, 17 years going to Auburn and playing at Jordan-Hare [Stadium], that place is haunted. I guarantee it. The way we lost games and the way we won games there, it’s unbelievable…

“I mean, I’m telling you, the place is haunted.”

-Nick Saban on playing at Auburn

Germie Bernard does not believe.

He appeared on the Next Round college football show this week to preview the matchup. He is not worried about the past. His goal is to beat the Tigers handily.

“This is my first experience playing there,” he said. “Hearing all the stories and seeing all the highlights of the games that they’ve played there, it’s obviously a great atmosphere… but who says we can’t change that? Who says we can’t blow them out?…

“Like coach always says, we don’t have to make the games close.”

Under normal circumstances, that may be true. In this case, the Football Gods might intervene.

Bernard, admittedly, has never experienced the Jordan-Hare voodoo firsthand. The wideout transferred to Alabama after starting his football career in the Big Ten.

He has played in one Iron Bowl. That game came in Tuscaloosa, resulting in a 28-14 Crimson Tide victory. He expects this result to be the same.

The receiver is not heeding Nick Saban’s warning, nor is he listening to the cautionary tales of players like Carson Beck. He plans to take care of business.

Alabama finds itself squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt. The Tide will book an SEC Championship ticket with a rivalry win.

Auburn is without a coach and barely in bowl game contention. They’ll have nothing to lose. It seems the perfect time for some Iron Bowl voodoo.