Sugar Bowl 2017: Updated Odds and Preview for Oklahoma vs. Auburn
The 2017 Sugar Bowl continues its recent tradition of pitting the SEC against the Big 12, with the Auburn Tigers taking on the Oklahoma Sooners.
Oklahoma clinched its Sugar Bowl berth as the Big 12 champion, while Auburn was selected as the replacement for the SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide, who vacated their spot by being selected to the College Football Playoff.
Auburn will be making a long-awaited return to the Sugar Bowl—its first appearance since capping off its undefeated 2004 season with a win over Virginia Tech.
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The Sooners return to the Sugar Bowl for the eighth time in school history, and the first since a 2014 victory over Alabama.
Here's a look at all the info you need to watch the game, followed by a quick breakdown of the two teams and a prediction for the matchup:
| Jan. 2 | 8:30 p.m. ET | No. 14 Auburn vs. No. 7 Oklahoma (-5) | ESPN |
How Auburn Got Here
It's hard to believe Auburn is in this position given how the season started for the Tigers.
After a disappointing 1-2 start to the season, many fans assumed the losing head coach of Auburn's matchup with LSU in Week 4 would be fired. It was a close call, but Auburn escaped with the 18-13 victory, resulting in Gus Malzahn keeping his job and Les Miles losing his.
The win over LSU set Auburn off on a six-game win streak, including dominant wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss.
But now Auburn enters the Sugar Bowl having lost two of its last three games, including the final two games of the SEC regular season. And as a result, fans are unhappy with Malzahn once again.
Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee recently speculated that Malzahn is off the hot seat "for now." But if Auburn ends this season as losers of three of its final four games, there will certainly be pressure on Malzahn entering the 2017 campaign. With a loss, he would have three straight seasons with five or more losses.
If Auburn is looking for extra motivation in this game, they could rally around their head coach to make him more comfortable in his role heading into his fifth season at the school.
How Oklahoma Got Here
Like Auburn, Oklahoma's playoff dreams were effectively crushed back in September, as they also started 1-2 thanks to convincing losses to Houston and Ohio State.
But Oklahoma has since rattled off nine straight victories and appears to be one of the hottest teams in the nation entering bowl season.
Oklahoma's motivation in this game could be based on its expectations to compete for a championship in the 2017 season.
According to Oklahoma's Twitter account, quarterback Baker Mayfield is already thinking ahead:
Motivation is often hard for teams to find during the weeks leading up to a bowl game, but if Oklahoma believes it's already playing for the chance to make an impression heading into the 2017 season, the Sooners may have the motivation they need to get through those December practices.
Matchup and Prediction
Auburn looked like one of the nation's most dominant defenses for much of the season, surrendering 20 or more points in just three games. But many of the offenses they went up against in SEC play this season fail to compare to the unit they'll face against Oklahoma.
During its nine-game win streak, Oklahoma has put 34 or more points up on the scoreboard in each victory.
While Mayfield receives much of the attention on Oklahoma's offense, it's the Sooners' running game that keeps the offense rolling. Oklahoma enters the the Sugar Bowl having run for at least 250 yards in each of its last three games.
Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon have combined for over 2,000 rushing yards in the Sooners backfield and form arguably the most dangerous rushing duo in the nation.
Auburn's rushing defense boasts some strong overall numbers, but a closer look reveals that those stats may be padded by some dominant performances against weaker opponents.
When faced with the SEC's elite rushing attacks, Auburn struggled to contain the run game. Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU each rushed for over 200 yards against the Tigers defense.
If Auburn can't contain Mixon and Perine, it's difficult to imagine the Tigers hanging with Oklahoma in this matchup. The Sooners just have too much firepower on offense and should be able to roll to their second Sugar Bowl victory in the last four seasons.
Prediction: Oklahoma 38, Auburn 27
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