Before Auburn and Alabama get Southeastern Conference serious, they have games this weekend that shouldn't be close.
No. 7 Auburn has Alabama State, an FCS team that's barely an hour from campus. For about $500,000, the Tigers can pay ASU and not break a sweat in their 6:30 p.m. home game that should attract 80,000-plus to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It's a good deal for the Hornets, who won't have a lot of out of pocket expenses. It's a day trip for goodness sakes. Their biggest traveling expense is likely for their band, the Mighty Marching Hornets, who'll perform at halftime.