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Topic: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game

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ELA

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Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« on: December 28, 2019, 02:43:46 PM »
OUTBACK BOWL
#18 Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn Tigers (9-3)
New Years Day @ 1:00 - Tampa, FL - ESPN
While the Citrus Bowl has the helmets, this is the New Years Day afternoon game I'm more excited for, between two teams that I think both want to be there.  Auburn showed last year that they are going to be ready to show up for a second tier bowl, and unlike last year, this Minnesota team can probably give them a fight.  While it technically occurred in 2018, Minnesota launched their 2019 season with a dominating win over Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl a year ago.  While their early season momentum fell short of a first ever division title, and trip to Indianapolis, they still have a chance to have their winningest season in over a century, and the program's first New Years Day Bowl victory since the 1962 Rose Bowl.  For their part, Gus Malzahn was able to use the Tigers' flat effort against UCF the year before to get their A+ game in the Music City Bowl last year.  And this isn't a team that limped its way into the postseason.  They played 5 top 10 teams, and beat two of them, including a season ending win in the Iron Bowl.  Auburn ranks #10 in SP+, with a rating of 21.8, and can look to this game to launch them into their 2020 campaign, as the Gophers did this year.  With Bo Nix returning as a true sophomore, and division rivals LSU and Alabama both looking to replace their starting quarterbacks, the Tigers look to perhaps be the SEC West favorite next year.  For Minnesota's offense, who can dictate how the passing game plays out?  The Gophers aren't going to pass often, but look to hit big downfield plays when they do.  Auburn's secondary will give you the underneath stuff, but there is probably no secondary in the nation, outside of maybe Clemson, who has more sound tacklers.  Can Tanner Morgan consistently complete the short passes and 3rd down conversions that will be there?  Because as good as Bateman and Johnson are, the downfield targets typically aren't there against the Tigers.  Auburn was 8th nationally in yards per completion allowed.
AUBURN 31, MINNESOTA 23

« Last Edit: January 01, 2020, 07:25:05 PM by ELA »
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Benthere2

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2019, 07:50:47 AM »
Nice write up. If you give the gophers the short passes/slants this could be a very interesting game. 
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Cincydawg

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2019, 08:46:56 AM »
This, to me, is another of the very interesting games afoot.  USC-Iowa was (for me) as well.  I like all these bowl games and ignore all the hype over the playoff.  Yes, it's very important and I watch, but it doesn't need the constant hype when the "lesser" bowl games often are very compelling, like Bama-Michigan as well.

Why don't they hype these games?  Any marginal fan is aware of the playoff situation.
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Benthere2

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2020, 05:35:15 PM »
The better team won this game
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bayareabadger

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2020, 05:57:08 PM »
Good for Minnesota. Lord do I hate them so. 
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FearlessF

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2020, 06:46:42 PM »
nice win, Gophers!!!


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CWSooner

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (10-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-3)
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2020, 07:07:48 PM »
Congrats to the Gophers!
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847badgerfan

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota (11-2) vs. #12 Auburn (9-4) Post Game
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2020, 07:10:11 PM »
Quote from: Benthere2 on January 01, 2020, 05:35:15 PM
The better team won this game
You got that right. Dare I say.. Minnie looked like Wisconsin today. Very physical. I loved watching it.


Should have been a 3 score win. Dominant. 
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Cincydawg

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2020, 10:47:47 PM »
Minnesota looked more like Auburn than Auburn did.  It resembled the OSU win over Alabama.
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Benthere2

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2020, 04:32:54 AM »
Against one of the best defenses in the country, Johnson's final stat line reads. 
- 12 catches
- 204 receiving yards
- Two touchdowns
- One Outback Bowl MVP


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Temp430

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2020, 07:13:57 AM »
Congrats to the Gophers!  Its a Quality Win with Distinction.
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Cincydawg

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2020, 09:35:06 AM »
Yeah, I'm still impressed.  They played like they were Wisconsin or something.
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Entropy

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2020, 10:24:05 AM »
Quote from: Cincydawg on December 29, 2019, 08:46:56 AM
This, to me, is another of the very interesting games afoot.  USC-Iowa was (for me) as well.  I like all these bowl games and ignore all the hype over the playoff.  Yes, it's very important and I watch, but it doesn't need the constant hype when the "lesser" bowl games often are very compelling, like Bama-Michigan as well.

Why don't they hype these games?  Any marginal fan is aware of the playoff situation.

I had a convesation with a CF fan yesterday on ESPN's hype of the playoff at the expense of other bowl games.   We both felt it was odd they were advertising the playoff and giving little ad time to other bowl games.  Makes you wonder if the diminishing the bowl games in hopes of a playoff expansion is a long term play for ESPN.  
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Entropy

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Re: Outback Bowl: #18 Minnesota 31, #12 Auburn 24 Post Game
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2020, 10:28:58 AM »
going into the bowl games I would not have guessed Minn would have won this game.  In fact, I would have said Minn keeping it competitive would have been a surprise.   What the game highlighted 2 things to me.  First, Minn's D was underappreciated by me all season.  I felt they were good based upon the style of teams they played rather than being that dominant.   They had toughness and enough speed to keep Auburn in check.   That D coordinator change they made last year really worked out.   Secondly, the mid tier Big10 teams closed the gap on the SEC mid tier teams (think of 3 tiers when reading this..).  I'm not just taking this one game as an example, but the last couple of years and games like Iowa vs USC.  The middle of the conference has improved on a nationally competitve level.   Credit to the BIG for their football investment over the past few years.

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