MUSIC CITY BOWL -- New Auburn offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham will be on hand as the Tigers send off quarterback Jarrett Stidham into the sunset. Will it matter? Nope. The Tigers offensive line hasn't been able to block all season, which means Rondale Moore and the Boilermakers offense will be on the field quite a bit. They'll do enough to keep it close.

MUSIC CITY BOWL -- This will end up being a high-scoring affair. The Tigers have a better defense but don't discount what QB David Blough has done to similar defenses he's faced this season. Also, Purdue has the most exciting player in college football in freshman WR Rondale Moore. Despite the creativity and uniqueness of the Auburn offense, the Tigers don't have the passing game to complement what they do on the ground. You can't be one-dimensional and expect to cover against a team like Purdue.

MUSIC CITY BOWL -- Word out of Auburn is that, with a 1-4 straight-up bowl record, coach Gus Malzahn has tossed out his long-held practice plan and ordered lots more hitting, with starters going against each other for a change. Conclusion: Beleaguered Gus is desperate for a postseason win. He has taken over play-calling, which will soften the impact of some coaching staff changes. Purdue backers point to its coach, Jeff Brohm, declining an offer from Louisville as a motivating factor for players, but it’s a stretch to say that will translate to heightened effort.

MUSIC CITY BOWL -- As spectacular as Purdue looked in its wins over Ohio State and Iowa, the Boilermakers still had to eke out a win over Indiana in the final week just to reach bowl eligibility. But, at their best, this is a tough team to beat and they should be inspired by the retention of coach Jeff Brohm, who spurned an opporunity at Louisville to stay with the program. Auburn went from a CFP contender to a five-loss team with three double-figure defeats. The Tigers have the superior talent, but motivation is a question and the value lies with taking the points.