Bowl projections for the Auburn Tigers ahead of Week 3
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Auburn football's postseason stock has risen after starting the season 2-0, and it could rocket even further with a Week 3 win over the Florida Gators.
Through two games, Auburn is still on track to win the necessary six games to qualify for a bowl game. ESPN's Football Power Index gives Auburn an 83% chance to win six games, and considers five of Auburn's final 10 games either a win or a toss-up. Auburn football's College Football Playoff odds remain low, however, at just 14.8% according to the FPI from ESPN.
Auburn football's postseason stock could rise this week with a win over the Florida Gators in its season opener. ESPN considers this game a toss-up, with Auburn holding a microscopic advantage with a 50.2% chance to win. Both Auburn and Florida are 2-0, and a win by either team will bode well for its postseason outlook.
Here is a look at Auburn football's latest bowl projections ahead of Week 3's action across college football.
USA TODAY Sports
After predicting Auburn to face Kansas State in the Texas Bowl in his first two forecasts, USA TODAY Sports' Erick Smith has shifted gears. According to Week 3's bowl projection, Smith pits Auburn against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 in Memphis.
The SEC has a strong history with the Liberty Bowl, but Auburn has only played in the game twice. Auburn lost to Ole Miss in the 1965 Liberty Bowl and bounced back in 1984's game by defeating Arkansas.
ESPN
Shades of Erick Smith's predictions are seen in ESPN's Week 3 bowl projections for Auburn.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura predicts Auburn will face Smith's projected opponent, Cincinnati, but in the Kinder's Texas Bowl on Dec. 30 in Houston, Texas. Bonagura's picking partner, Mark Schlabach, agrees with Smith's prediction that Auburn will play in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 in Memphis, but against the TCU Horned Frogs.
Auburn is 2-0 all-time against the Cincinnati Bearcats, with a 52.5-point margin of victory. Auburn is 3-0 against TCU all-time, most recently defeating the Horned Frogs in 1981, 24-16, in Auburn.
The Athletic
The Athletic has not updated its bowl projections since pitting Auburn against Illinois in the Music City Bowl in its preseason outlook. However, the outlet gives Auburn a 10% chance to make the College Football Playoff and predicts the Tigers to finish 7-5 after Week 2.
CBS Sports
After picking a fun Gasparilla Bowl matchup between Auburn and USF last week, CBS Sports' Brad Crawford is shifting gears. He is now predicting the Tigers will compete in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 against Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels are 2-0 this season, securing wins over TCU and East Tennessee State. This week, North Carolina has a tough Week 3 test against Clemson in Death Valley. Bowl projections for both teams could change drastically if they emerge victorious in their respective conference openers this week.
On3
Brett McMurphy of On3 predicts a fun postseason matchup for the Auburn Tigers. In his latest forecast, McMurphy projects the Tigers to face Coach "Prime" Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 in Protective Stadium.
Deion Sanders was viewed as a candidate for the Auburn head coaching job after the dismissal of Bryan Harsin, before he accepted the same job with Colorado. If this scenario were to become true, it would be the first time Sanders has faced an SEC team since taking over as head coach of the Buffaloes in 2023.
Athlon Sports
For the third week in a row, Athlon Sports predicts Auburn will face Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 in Memphis, Tennessee. If this projection becomes true, it would mark Auburn football's first Liberty Bowl appearance since 1984, and just its third total in program history.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Bowl projections for the Auburn Tigers ahead of Week 3
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