The Auburn Tigers are preparing to take on the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide in the 90th edition of the Iron Bowl on Saturday, and there is one player they will need to be prepared to stop above the rest. 

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has been one of the nation's best this season. He has completed 237 of his 354 pass attempts, amassing 2,934 yards through the air and 22 touchdowns, while only throwing four interceptions.

Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin is aware of the challenge Simpson presents, and he is working diligently to have the Tigers' defense prepared to take him on.

“He’s played at a really high level," Durkin said. "We’re here at the end of the season so you get a chance to watch the whole menu of all the games, and I think he does a really good job. He commands that offense. They give you multiple looks with shifts and motions, and you can tell his eyes are in the right place. He knows where to go with the ball. Rarely is he kind of off queue with what the defense is doing and where to go with it at least."

Durkin has a lot of respect for Simpson's game as a passer, and confirmed that he will be among the top of the passing threats the Tigers have had to deal with this season.

 “He can make all the throws," Durkin said. "You see him push the ball down the field. They have a lot of vertical route concepts, and he can get it where it needs to be. He has a good playmaker to throw to, and I think he understands that, so it’s definitely a challenge, our toughest challenge I think of the year.”

Whether or not the Tigers can manage to contain Simpson remains to be seen, but they will have their chance at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night. ABC will carry the television broadcast.