There may be no better way to start the new year than watching No. 14 Northwestern take on Auburn at Citrus Bowl on Friday. Maybe if you woke up on New Year’s Day and found $ 1 million under the couch while you sat down to watch Northwestern take on Auburn at the Citrus Bowl, it would be better, but it’s probably not a realistic scenario.
So I will say no, nothing better than starting the year with this game. I mean, there is something comforting about a Big Ten team playing against a SEC team in Florida for the New Year. It’s like putting on an old pair of shoes that fit perfectly.
This year’s Citrus Bowl is a rematch for the 2010 Outback Bowl. In that game, Auburn survived a late recovery from Northwestern to defeat the Wildcats 38-35 in overtime. If this year’s meeting is as fun as the previous one, we will be in for a surprise. This game is also the only other time in history that these teams played on a soccer field.
It is an important game for Northwestern as well. Rumors continue to revolve around coach Pat Fitzgerald potentially leaving Evanston for the NFL, while he continues to beat Northwestern. Their Wildcats have just won the second division title in three years and are looking to end another notable season with a bowl victory on New Year’s Day – they have won four of their last five bowl games since 2012 under Fitzgerald. Let’s take a closer look at the following stories in Orlando.
Storylines
Auburn: It was a difficult season for Auburn. The Tigers arrived in the 2020 season with the hope of competing for the division title and possible SEC championship. Those hopes were hit hard in the second game of the season, when the Tigers lost to rival Georgia 27-6, and two weeks later, those hopes were shattered by a 30-22 loss to South Carolina – a game that would prove to be one of only two victories for Gamecocks. Losses to Alabama and Texas A&M would follow, and a 6-4 season helped lead to the dismissal of Gus Malzahn. Kevin Steele will be the Tigers’ interim coach in this game, but things can be difficult as Steele hoped to get the permanent job, but Auburn decided to sign Bryan Harsin from Boise State.
Northwest: Last year, at this time, Northwestern was not in a bowl game. He had just finished a 3-9 season, winning just one conference game. So when coach Pat Fitzgerald said during a press conference at the end of the season that the Wildcats would turn things around and play for a Big Ten championship in 2020, you could be excused for raising an eyebrow in disbelief. Well, here we are 12 months later and Northwestern is 6-2, won Big Ten West and played for a Big Ten championship. Sure, he lost to Ohio State 22-10 in that game, but it’s hard to argue that this season was anything but a resounding success for the Wildcats. It is a team that, as usual, has been led by the defense, which makes this Citrus Bowl bittersweet. It will be the final game for longtime defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who is retiring after a long and successful career, including the past 13 seasons at Northwestern.
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View information
Games: Citrus Bowl
Meeting: Friday, January 1 | Time: 13h east time
Location: Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
TV: ABC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
Citrus Bowl prediction, choices
Most recent odds:
Northwest Wildcats -4
When it comes to undermining a game of bowling, you must consider a team’s motivation to play. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Northwestern will appear ready to play in this game; this is how Pat Fitzgerald runs his program and how his teams handle bowl preparation. There is also the added motivation of being Hankwitz’s last game as a defensive coordinator. I cannot say that I am confident that Auburn will be so motivated. As mentioned above, it is a team that comes from a disappointing season playing under the command of an interim coach who wanted the full-time position and failed to do so. Northwestern’s attack is not good enough to make me believe that the Wildcats can get away with this game, and letting Auburn be around can be all the motivation I need. But I think the Wildcats end up covering it. Choose: Northwest -3.5 | Northwestern 23, Auburn 17
So, who wins Northwestern vs. Auburn? And which side of the spread reaches more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Auburn vs. Northwestern spread backwards, all from the advanced model in a 56-36 race in their top rated college football choices this season.