Birmingham Bowl 2015, Auburn vs Memphis preview, predictions, odds and live stream info
Auburn Tigers vs Memphis Tigers
Two teams who defied preseason expectations in very different ways will square off in the Birmingham Bowl when the Auburn Tigers take on the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday at historic Legion Field.
Auburn entered the season at No. 6 in the AP Poll, but quickly fell out of the rankings. The Tigers finished at 6-6 overall, including just two SEC wins in what was a very disappointing season.
It’s still unclear if Sean White or Jeremy Johnson will get the start at quarterback on Wednesday for Auburn. Either quarterback will need to do a better job of generating big plays for an Auburn offense that wasn’t nearly as efficient as in previous years under Gus Malzahn.
Memphis will have a chance to pick up its second win against a SEC West opponent after taking down Ole Miss on Oct. 17. The Tigers lost three out of four to end the year at 9-3, but still have to be thrilled with a season that could elevate the program to new heights.
Quarterback Paxton Lynch leads an explosive Memphis offense that put up at least 50 points in five different games. Lynch, who could be the first quarterback off the board in the 2016 NFL Draft, accounted for nearly 4,000 total yards and 30 touchdowns.
The 2015 Birmingham Bowl begins at Noon eastern on ESPN and can be streamed on the WatchESPN app. Further details for the game are below:
Date:Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Start Time: Noon eastern
Location: Birmingham, AL
Stadium: Legion Field
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio, Sirius XM Channel 80
Ticket information: For Auburn ticket information, click here.
Keys to Victory
Both teams have lost coaches since the end of the regular season, as Memphis’ Justin Fuente is now running the show at Virginia Tech, while Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp headed to South Carolina. Which team is able to overcome that better will certainly be an important key on Wednesday.
That could end being a bigger factor for Auburn. The Tigers’ defense underachieved earlier in the season, but played much better down the stretch under Muschamp and will now prepare for one of the best offenses in the nation without him.
While losing Fuente obviously hurts the team for this game and beyond, Memphis has the pure talent on offense to still be successful. Lynch is going to test Auburn with both his arm and his legs, and rarely makes mistakes.
Memphis primarily relied on the pass to fuel its offense this season and averaged over nine yards per pass attempt according to TeamRankings, so the Auburn secondary will need to turn in its best game of the season to win. A lot will fall on Carlton Davis and Blake Countess to continue their strong seasons and put some pressure on Lynch.
No matter if White or Johnson is starting at quarterback, the Tigers are going to have to rely on the pass against a Memphis secondary that graded out as one of the worst in the nation during the regular season. White did a better job of taking care of the ball when he was healthy, but neither was particularly good against SEC competition.
If Auburn can finally generate the big plays that have been missing all season, this one could turn into a back-and-fourth shootout. Auburn has a clear talent advantage, but has not yet proven it can play to its potential against strong competition.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Auburn -3
Moneyline: Auburn -160, Memphis +140
O/U: 62.5
Prediction
While Auburn may have the talent advantage, losing Muschamp just before the bowl game is going to put too much strain on the Tigers’ defense against a very good offense.
Lynch is poised to have a big day in what could be his final college game against an Auburn defense that finished with middling numbers overall. The solid Auburn secondary can limit Lynch through the air, but look for him to make some plays with his legs.
With so many targets to spread the ball to, Auburn’s defense is going to have a hard time holding Memphis off forever. Lynch also threw only three picks in the regular season, so Auburn will have trouble generating any takeaways.
Auburn will be able to move the ball against a poor defense, but the big quarterback advantage for Memphis will make the difference.
Final Score: Memphis 38, Auburn 30