Alabama survives Auburn in 4 overtimes to win Iron Bowl

Alabama’s Bryce Young found John Metchie III with a pass for a 2-point conversion in the fourth overtime to give the Crimson Tide a 24-22 victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

The teams battled to a 10-10 tie at the end of regulation after Alabama scored on a 97-yard drive in the final minute.

Auburn’s 2-point conversion in the fourth OT was unsuccessful and Young connected with Metchie III, who also caught a pass for 2 points in the third extra session.

Alabama plays Georgia next Saturday in the SEC Championship Game.

College football rules have teams attempting 2-point conversions when games go to the third overtime and beyond.

The first overtime saw Young throw a touchdown pass that Auburn’s TJ Finley matched with a throw to Landen King, who made a great catch in the back of the end zone.

Auburn’s Ben Patton, a backup kicker, nailed a 49-yard field goal — the longest of his college career — to give the Tigers a 20-17 lead in the second overtime.

Patton became Auburn’s kicker because senior kicker Anders Carlson suffered a season-ending ACL injury attempting an onside kick at the end of a 43-34 loss to Mississippi State earlier this month.

Will Reichard kicked a 38-yard field goal and the Iron Bowl was going to be settled by 2-point conversions.

Alabama only had a field goal for more than 55 minutes of the game.

The Crimson Tide, trailing 10-3, started on the 2-yard line on one drive and had turned the ball over on downs.

The next time Auburn pinned Alabama at the 3 on another brilliant Oscar Chapman punt.

However, Bryce Young led a 97-yard drive over 12 plays that finished with a 28-yard TD pass to Ja’Corey Brooks for the game-tying score, sending the Iron Bowl to OT for the first time in its history.