Throughout the preseason, some outlets have considered Auburn a bowl team, while others believe that the Tigers could be on the outside looking in.
According to a new projection, the Tigers could be heading to a Florida bowl this postseason, squaring off against an unfamiliar foe.
Brett McMurphy of Action Network has released his latest bowl projection and has placed Auburn in the UnionHome Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which will be played on Friday, December 23 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The projected opponent? The Arizona Wildcats of the PAC-12.
The Tigers and Wildcats have met three times in history, once in a bowl game and two other times in a home-and-home series. Auburn defeated Arizona in the 1968 Sun Bowl, 34-10. The two teams would meet again eight years later in Tucson, with the Wildcats earning a 31-19 win in 1976. Auburn welcomed Arizona to town in 1977 and defeated the Wildcats 21-10.
Auburn does not have a strong history against current PAC-12 teams, but holds a respectable 10-3 all-time record against the conference. Auburn has only faced four Pac-12 teams in bowl games. In addition to meeting Arizona in the 1968 Sun Bowl, Auburn defeated Colorado in the 1972 Gator Bowl, 24-3. The Tigers also defeated USC in the 1987 Citrus Bowl, 16-7. Most recently, Auburn beat Oregon in the 2010 BCS National Championship game, 22-19.
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