At this point, most Auburn fans will take this matchup if it means there is a season.
247Sports updated its way-too-early bowl projections on Sunday and are staying firm with their prediction of the Tigers returning to Tampa to take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Outback Bowl. 247Sports acknowledged this would but disappointing to Auburn fans.
“Auburn fans are tired of traveling to Tampa. Sometimes, it’s the way the cookie crumbles for a team that is usually one or two wins away from making real noise in the New Year’s Six. The Tigers’ early showdown vs. North Carolina is one of the nation’s most undersold non-conference battles in September and that’ll give us a good idea of where both Top 20 teams are at before conference play begins (if it happens at all). We do know Jim Harbaugh’s team won’t travel cross-country for their opener at Washington. The Pac-12 and Big Ten have wiped that one away.”
Auburn has represented the SEC in the Outback Bowl three times in the last 11 years and five times since 1990. The Tigers have gone 2-3 in their games and have lost their last two trips to Tampa.
Auburn and Michigan have only played twice with the teams splitting the games. Auburn won the 1984 Sugar Bowl 9-7 while Michigan defeated Auburn 31-28 in the 2001 Citrus Bowl.