Nate Oats Knows Why Charles Barkley's Bracket Is Busted: 'He's From Auburn'

The Alabama-Auburn sports rivalry takes zero days off, and it’s not just limited to football. Alabama coach Nate Oats is stoking the rivalry in men’s basketball as well.

The Crimson Tide and Tigers both made it to March Madness, and each team earned a 4-seed in the West and East regions, respectively. Alabama managed to make it past Charleston with relative ease in the Round of 64, winning 109-96.

Auburn, on the other hand, had a far less pleasant experience in its first game.

Despite ending their pre-tournament campaign by winning the SEC, the Tigers ran into a tenacious Yale Bulldogs squad (the Ivy League champions). Despite leading by 10 with just under 10 minutes to play, Auburn couldn’t quite hold on to its lead and lost 78-76, which was only slightly less embarrassing than Kentucky’s loss to Oakland.

Charles Barkley, an Auburn alum, was not pleased that his Tigers couldn’t even make it past Yale. But Oats sure as heck was.

In a commercial aired by CBS, Oats took time out of the segment to rub in the loss by his archrivals.

"It’s March Madness. Of course Barkley’s bracket is busted. He’s from Auburn," Oats said. 

Barkley took the roast in stride, saying that he wouldn’t return a roast for a roast. That is, until Alabama loses.

That could happen rather quickly. While Alabama did drop more than 100 points in its first game, it will face a Grand Canyon team in the Round of 32 that can definitely keep pace with the Tide’s offensive output. While Grand Canyon doesn’t have the same pedigree as Alabama, that’s irrelevant.

This is March Madness. Anything can happen.