Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers New Year's Day in Raymond James Stadium, the Auburn Tigers get set to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the Outback Bowl. Auburn comes into this one at 7-5, while the Wildcats have an 8-4 regular season record.

Northwestern is making its first trip to a January bowl game since 1997 and that is in no small part because of the way it finished the regular season, however success in the postseason has eluded the Wildcats for decades.

NCAA odds makers like Auburn in this game. The spread in Vegas is at more than a touchdown as the line is sitting at, the Tigers -8.5 with the total in the contest set at 55.

After a 2-2 start to 2009, Northwestern won six of eight and they capped the regular season with three straight wins,
including impressive victories over Iowa and Wisconsin.

"We're definitely playing our best football of the year right now," said Wildcats' head coach Pat Fitzgerald. "With the layover we're going to have to make sure we keep our edge."

Auburn has not had the same kind of problems in bowl games. It's won five of six since the 2002 season, with the lone loss coming against Wisconsin in the 2006 Capital One Bowl.

The Tigers offense has relied on Chris Todd and Ben Tate to be their spark all season. Todd ranks fourth in the SEC with 21 touchdown passes and has thrown only six interceptions, while Tate was fourth in the conference with 1,254 rushing yards.

Look for the Tigers, Todd and Tate to have big games.

Take Auburn and give the points.