OUTBACK BOWL -- Last year, an underachieving Auburn club took out its frustrations on Purdue in their bowl game and the public will have this in mind as they hit the betting window Wednesday. This time, the motivation edge goes to the other side as Minnesota looks to finish on a positive note after coming up short of the Big Ten title game. It's hard to imagine Auburn giving full investment here after ending its regular season with a win over rival Alabama.

OUTBACK BOWL -- Auburn’s body of work this season is sneaky impressive: three losses to top 10 teams (AP poll) by a combined 21 points, capped by a win over Alabama. Minnesota’s was, too, but against a considerably easer schedule. The Gophers’ offense is all about big-play WRs Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman, but the Tigers limited foes to 5.9 yards per pass attempt, fifth-best in the FBS. NFL-bound DLs Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson elected to play for Auburn. Tigers QB Bo Nix no longer resembles the freshman that he is.

OUTBACK BOWL -- The biggest question in this game will be if the Golden Gophers' interior OL can hold up against Auburn's defensive front. DT Derrick Brown plays like a man on fire and could find himself in Minnesota's backfield often. The Gophers have some playmakers on offense, but I don't know if the QB will have time to get them the ball often enough.

OUTBACK BOWL -- Every single trend involving these two teams points toward the Under. The Under has gone 7-1-2 in Auburn's last 10 games at a neutral site, 18-6-2 in its last 26 nonconference games, and is 24-11-1 in its last 36 games against a winning team. It's also 25-10-1 when Auburn plays a ranked team in the College Football Playoff Era. As for Minnesota, the Under is 13-6 in its last 19 nonconference games as well as 7-2 in its last nine against teams with a winning record. Auburn has a dominant defense, and an inconsistent offense. Minnesota's offense is explosive, but hasn't faced a defense like Auburn's.

OUTBACK BOWL -- The Tigers finished on a high note with the upset over Alabama, but the offense didn't have an awful lot to do with it. Minnesota's Tanner Morgan will have enough success to keep the Golden Gophers in it to the bitter end, and Tigers quarterback Bo Nix will make some poor decisions against a good secondary. The Tigers will win, but it'll be close.