BIRMINGHAM BOWL -- I've gone back and forth on this game as Auburn lost a couple of offensive lineman and two key defenders to opt outs, but Houston lost All-American Marcus Jones. He had four touchdowns on returns — two on punts and two on kickoffs — and also recorded five interceptions this year in winning the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player and was also named the American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year. That this game is in Birmingham makes it essentially a home matchup for the Tigers, who want to avoid a losing season for the first time since 2012. UH coach Dana Holgorsen is 1-7 in bowl games.

BIRMINGHAM BOWL -- Houston’s strength of schedule has cast doubt on its overall record of 11-2. As usual, the SEC gets the nod ATS, but look for the Tigers' end-of-season issues to arise. Look for the Cougars to adjust to Auburn’s defense and hand the Tigers their fifth straight loss.

Motivation is tough to read for bowl teams, but the needle must be leaning toward “E” for Auburn. The Tigers lost their last four straight-up, most recently a deflating four-overtime affair against Alabama. Three starting offensive linemen are out for various reasons, and the fill-ins must gear up against the No. 5 sacks defense in the FBS. Two Tigers on defense will bypass the game, compared to one Cougar (CB Marcus Jones), all turning to NFL Draft prep. Houston covers.

BIRMINGHAM BOWL — The Tigers get running back Tank Bigsby back after he flirted with the transfer portal, which means that he will be rewarded with plenty of carries against the Cougars. What’s more, the buzz around the Plains is that the dismissal of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and head coach Bryan Harsin’s hands-on approach to play-calling will result in a much faster tempo that will further benefit the offense.