The instant oral history of Alabama's miracle, game-winning touchdown - ESPN

AUBURN, Ala. — «Whoa nellie! Whoa nellie!»

Alabama analyst Dean Altobelli shouted so loud in celebration that his words could be heard through the metal door and cinder block walls that separated the visitors locker room from the awaiting media next door.

A few moments later, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban walked in as his wife, Terry, clapped from her seat in the back row and yelped, «Yay!»

Saban then sat down and tried to explain a win that few could have seen coming.

«So, do I really need to say anything?» Saban asked facetiously.

Yes and no. Because what can you say after what happened here, on the road, against an archrival in a series that has had more than its fair share of miraculous finishes? The Tide looked to be toast, down 24-20 with under a minute left to play, facing an impossible fourth-and-goal from Auburn's 31-yard line to save their season and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Then Jalen Milroe took the snap, danced around the pocket and surveyed the field. He waited… and waited… and waited some more, as the Tigers only rushed two defenders.

«I guess if you're in this long enough,» Saban said, «sometimes it goes against you in the last play of the game, and sometimes you're fortunate and it goes for you.»

Ten years ago, inside this same cramped makeshift media room, Saban walked through how a would-be game-winning field goal with one second left turned into a 100-plus-yard return and a walk-off win for Auburn. All this time later, he rattled off the mistakes that led to one of the most heartbreaking losses of his career: a blocked kick, a dead ball foul, getting the ball five times inside the opponent's 25-yard line in the third and fourth quarters and not scoring a single point.

Call what Milroe and