In order for Auburn to have any success Saturday against No. 1 Alabama in the Iron Bowl, Jarrett Stidham has to run, according to former Crimson Tide Sports Network analyst Phil Savage.

It sounds odd, considering the Auburn quarterback has a whole 3 yards of rushing this season.

Savage, now the general manager of the Arizona Hot Shots of the Alliance League, joined me and Lee Shirvanian on “The Opening Kickoff” on Wednesday and explained the thought process.

“The matchup of their offensive line against the Alabama defensive front is going to be the struggle as it has been throughout the season for Auburn,” Savage said. "For Auburn to have any chance to move the ball at all, Jarrett Stidham has got to be a part of the run game.

“In other words, there have been a few times on the zone read where he needs to keep the ball. Last year, he really hurt Alabama with his opportunistic scramble on third down. Bama didn’t account for him as a runner, and he made Alabama pay of number of times.”

In Auburn’s 26-14 win last year, Stidham had 51 yards on 12 carries.

It isn’t the norm for Stidham. He finished last season with 153 yards on the ground.

Clearly, things are different this year. To that point, Savage believes so will the strategy on both sides of the ball.

“Last year, the Alabama offense was spinning its wheels,” he said. "It was almost in reverse as Kevin Steele designed a game plan and sold out against the run, put Alabama behind the sticks, and Jalen Hurts didn’t throw the Tide out of trouble. ...

“You almost want to invite Alabama to run the ball and see if they have the patience for 8, 10, 12-play drives. I think it will be a different strategy for Auburn this year. Last year, they crowded the box. This year, I think they’ll lay off, try to protect against the big play and almost open the door to run the ball.”

In last year’s game, Alabama rushed for 211 yards, which is about what the Tide is running for this year. Alabama averages 214 yards a game this season. The difference, as Savage points out, is the passing game where the Tide is throwing for 328 yards on the left arm of Tua Tagovailoa.

Last year, Hurts threw for 103 yards against Auburn.

The Tide, this year, is a 24.5-point favorite heading into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game.

“At home at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with what Alabama has at stake, the fact that they are coming off a sub-par performance in the first half against The Citadel,” Savage said. "I think they do win this game by more than 20 points."

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.