Charles Barkley made bet with Jalen Hurts over Iron Bowl game

There will be plenty at stake this year when Alabama takes on Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl rivalry game, but Jalen Hurts decided to add another interesting element when he agreed to a bet with Charles Barkley before the season began.

Barkley, an Auburn alum, revealed on JOX 94.5 FM’s “The Round Table” Tuesday that he and the Alabama quarterback made a friendly wager in the preseason, and the payout will be quite embarrassing for the loser.

“Jalen Hurts challenged me to a bet, and I ain’t forgot it, Jalen,” Barkley said, according to Mark Heim of AL.com. “I’m either going to wear an Alabama jersey on TV or he’s going to have to wear (an Auburn jersey) on campus. … I’ve got the jersey coming.

“My Tigers need to win because I don’t want to wear that crap on TNT.”

The Iron Bowl will be played on Nov. 25. Alabama is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation and Auburn is ranked No. 6, and both teams have cupcake games this Saturday. Barring a historical upset, next weekend’s game will determine who will represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game.

While Barkley will be rooting hard for Auburn, he is obviously a big fan of Hurts.

“The guy came in as a true freshman and he lost one game in two years and people want him to do more?” Barkley said. “C’mon, man. The dude’s lost one game in two years and people are saying he needs to do more. See, that’s why you don’t need social media because if anybody’s saying that on social media, they’re just a moron.”

Compared to some of the other lighthearted wagers he has made in the past, wearing an Auburn jersey should not be that hard for Barkley if it comes to that. Rocking a Tigers jersey around the Alabama campus would probably be a lot tougher for Hurts.