Neither the Wommacks nor the Studzinskis said much about it.

The elephant and the tiger in the room.

Kane is in his first season as defensive coordinator for Alabama Football. Meanwhile, his brother-in-law Dom is the head football strength and conditioning coach for Auburn football.

As Alabama prepares to face Auburn in the Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC), the family is experiencing mixed emotions. The game creates a house divided while bringing the family together the week of Thanksgiving.

“You won’t get into this profession unless you can handle it personally and professionally,” Kane said. “That’s exactly how the Wommack family works.”

Now competing in the Iron Bowl

Kane called Dave before making the decision to leave South Alabama for the Crimson Tide.

Dad, what do you think about me going to Alabama as DC?

Dave, himself a former SEC defensive coordinator, said he thought it would be a great move. His son, then the head coach at South Alabama, could always return to that level if he wanted. Kane said he rather thought he would take the Alabama job.

Good for you. Go for it.

Then reality hit.

“Of course, we immediately think, ‘Oh my God, at some point the Iron Bowl will be here,’” Dave said.

Dom followed Hugh Freeze from Ole Miss to Liberty to Auburn. So Kane’s brother-in-law and sister were already at the rival school. As soon as her brother accepted the job in Alabama, Hayley spiced up her parents.

I know you’re going to pull for him.

“We said, ‘You don’t know who we’re going to appeal for,’” Dave said.

I know he’s the son and you’re going to shoot for him.

“I remember saying I was going to have to pull a Mama Kelce and get this jersey split down the middle,” Leslie said.

The Iron Bowl rivalry goes back a long way. The same goes for the competition between the Wommack brother and sister. Hayley is a few years younger than Kane, but they have always been competitive.

The scouting report, via Dave and Leslie: Kane doesn’t like to lose anything. But Hayley is probably the most competitive person in the family.

If Kane was throwing a baseball with Dave in the yard, or playing any other sport, Hayley would come out with his glove too. She went on to throw the discus and shot put at Southern Miss. Kane and Hayley’s sibling rivalry even extended to water sports.

“Hayley wanted to be able to ski better than Kane, and Kane wanted to be able to ski better than Hayley,” Dave said. “In everything there was, they were competitive.”

Now they have the Iron Bowl.

Origins of Oxford

Kane believes he only mentioned the idea to his wife, Melissa.

Man, Dom would be a great person for Hayley.

Kane had known Dom since they worked together on the Ole Miss staff, starting in 2012. Dave was the defensive coordinator, Kane was a graduate assistant and Dom was an assistant strength and conditioning coach. (In other world news, Dom so far played with Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer in Sioux Falls).

During Ole Miss games, Leslie watched from the stands with the other coaches’ wives. She noticed that if Dom saw trash, he picked it up. He even tried his best to do it.

“That really impressed me,” Leslie said. “I just think it speaks to your character.”

So when Hayley brought up that she was dating Dom, Leslie approved.

I really like this guy. He always picks up the trash.

Dom reminded Leslie in some ways of her husband, Dave. A man of few words. Work hard. Trustworthy.

Another essential quality of Dom: he also worked in football. It wasn’t exactly a prerequisite, but Hayley certainly understood what this life meant.

“It’s really interesting that we’re both doing this now,” Kane said. “Coming full circle, we followed my father across the country as part of his job. Now he and my mother follow us wherever we are.

Saturday will be Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Family plans for Thanksgiving, Alabama vs. Auburn

Thanksgiving plans seem a bit TBD.

Hayley is expected to bring her three boys and stay at the Wommack house later in the week. Dom will travel with Auburn, of course. Dave and Leslie plan to arrive by Friday.

The date of the Thanksgiving meal is also a little uncertain. Maybe Friday or Sunday. But probably Friday, since Sunday would mean eating after the Iron Bowl winner and loser are determined.

“We wish it wasn’t this way because it’s hard,” Leslie said. “We would never let a football game separate us. We are a family. We love each other.

Next Saturday, Kane’s wife and sons will of course support Alabama, and the Studzinskis will support Auburn. But Dave and Leslie have a tougher decision to make, with a child on either side.

Leslie decided she would sit with the local team every season. So that’s Melissa and Alabama this year. Dave expects to be on the sidelines with Kane, as he has been in some previous games this season. Dave, now retired, offers his son an extra pair of eyes, watching match film on future opponents and sharing his thoughts with Kane.

“In this kind of game where they’re going against each other, you just want everyone to do their best,” Leslie said. “I want the defense to play the best they can and for Dom’s guys to be well prepared physically and mentally. It really is. I couldn’t necessarily say who I’m rooting for. I just want a good game and whatever happens, we’ll take care of it.

“There’s a rider for you,” Dave responded immediately.

Then they both laughed.

There is a certain joy in this for the family. Of course, one family member must lose while another wins. But this weekend is also a gift. Very often, the coaching profession took the Wommack/Studzinski family in different directions, like when Dom worked at Virginia and Kane coached at Indiana.

This weekend, coaching will finally bring them together again, but as competitors.

“Sometimes we find that rivalries can bring out the best and worst in people,” Kane said. “When you look across the sideline in arguably the biggest rivalry in college football and you see a familiar family face… it always puts into perspective that we’re playing a great game.”

Nick Kelly is a beat writer from Alabama for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on And Instagram.