Music City Bowl: Auburn 63, Purdue 14

[ELA]

Destination envy

[FearlessF]

easy win for the Boilers, Auburn won't be highly motivated

[Entropy]

I don't think it will be easy.  Purdue has games where they like to give the ball away.  I do hope Auburn shows up disappointed.  

[MaximumSam]

I went to this a few years ago when ND played LSU. It's a fun easy trip because the stadium is right next to all the bars. 

[FearlessF]

much better destination than NYC

[CatsbyAZ]

I’m confident Purdue will show up focused and the players will gladly give the coaches a deserved effort, especially with Brohm sticking around. Quite the underrated Big Ten story.

But I don’t have high hopes for Auburn. Gus & staff have underperformed in Bowls, I’m not sure the Tigers’ roster will be properly motivated, even though for the coaches finishing 8-5 sounds so much better than 7-6, and all my Auburn “connections” are staying home for this one, which is a bummer because as already pointed out this Bowl provides an entertaining setting.

[fezzador]

If Auburn wants it, it could get ugly.  Otherwise it's anyone's game.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Not the matchup I was hoping for...

Talent-wise, Auburn is going to be deeper at probably almost every position. I was hoping for a team that was closer to Purdue's situation, not a team stacked with highly-rated players that underperformed.

In some ways this becomes a "can't win" situation. Lose, and you've lost to a 7-5 Auburn team in a tailspin. Win, and you beat an "unmotivated" Auburn. 

Still, given the options, let's just hope Purdue goes out and cleans their clocks.

[Cincydawg]

There is something wrong with Auburn, and usually that means coaching.  As noted, they have some talent but seem to underperform routinely.

They also barely lost to a decent LSU team and came back to beat a decent A&M and then lost to Tennessee, at home, which is almost hard to believe.  I guess they are a slightly better than middlin team that is up and down, kind of almost sorta like they are 7-5.

[Entropy]

Auburn just lost their OC to an OC job at......  Kansas.

[FearlessF]

chances are, Auburn will find a better OC for the bowl game

look out Boilers

[betarhoalphadelta]

There is something wrong with Auburn, and usually that means coaching.  As noted, they have some talent but seem to underperform routinely.

They also barely lost to a decent LSU team and came back to beat a decent A&M and then lost to Tennessee, at home, which is almost hard to believe.  I guess they are a slightly better than middlin team that is up and down, kind of almost sorta like they are 7-5.

Exactly. As much as Purdue has been up and down [losing to EMU/Minnesota, beating BC/OSU/Iowa], we know that to an extent in those wins they were overachieving their talent level, whereas Auburn is underachieving their talent level.
I just hope we catch them napping, upset that they're up against "just Purdue". But if their coaches have any sense [debatable I know] they're going to be pointing out the three ranked teams that Purdue upset, so the Auburn players don't look past us. And I'll bet they'll be reminding those players of what UCF did to them too, and that Purdue is more than capable of doing the same if they aren't "motivated". 

[847badgerfan]

Destination envy

Yeah, no kidding. If UW were headed here, I'd be going.

[MaximumSam]

Auburn is a good tough team but they aren't some world beater.  They struggle on offense and if Purdue can keep their scoring down they certainly have a shot to win.