TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
December 28
Houston (11-2) vs. Auburn (6-6), Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala., noon, ESPN
Auburn -2 – O/U 51
Records don’t always tell the full story. Despite the glaring difference between the records of these two teams (Houston’s 11 wins and Auburn’s six), the Cougars and Tigers aren’t that different. Auburn runs the ball a little better than Houston, but Houston defends the run a little bit better than Auburn. Houston passes the ball a bit better than Auburn … and Houston also defends the pass much better than Auburn, but that was with All-American cornerback Marcus Jones, who is sitting out this game. Of course, Auburn is taking a greater hit in terms of who won’t be playing. The Tigers are losing two defensive starters (CB Roger McCreary and LB Zakoby McClain) and a starting offensive lineman (RT Brodarious Hamm) to opt-outs. And that’s in addition to the loss of starting center Nick Brahms (knee surgery) and kicker Anders Carlson (season-ending ACL injury). Auburn might have a sizeable fan advantage at the game, though it’s doubtful that a ton of fans will be taking the day off to attend a minor bowl game in the middle of a weekday. It’s more likely that Houston will be able to limit Auburn’s passing game and force the Tigers to focus solely on the ground. One-dimensional teams tend to struggle in games like this.
Prediction: Houston 27-20
Result: Houston 17-13
Record:
Bowl season: SU – 11-7; ATS – 8-10-0; O/U – 9-9-0
Overall: SU – 603-188; ATS – 375-330-6; O/U – 340-359-12
Copyright © 2021 by Doug DeBolt.
