The projections were mostly right, but the opponent was wrong. As I said, projections are just a guess, but with some education about it. I’m sure Wisconsin was being contacted by the Music City Bowl, and for whatever reason Maryland was a better fit.
We’ll get into it a lot more over the next four weeks, but here are the quick hits about the TransPerfect Music City Bowl between Auburn and Maryland, played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN on December 30th at 1pm CT.
- Maryland finished 7-5 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten.
- They started the season with 5 straight wins (over teams that finished with 3-5 wins).
- They finished the season losing 5 of the last 7.
- Their best win, by record, I guess was Rutgers (6-6)
- Their best loss was to Michigan by a touchdown.
- Tua Tagovailoa’s brother, Taulia, is their quarterback and is believed to be playing in the game.
- Auburn and Maryland have played 3 times.
- 1952 – Maryland 13, Auburn 7 (Birmingham)
- 1958 – Auburn 20 , Maryland 7 (Auburn)
- 1983 – Auburn 35, Maryland 23 (Auburn) – This was a Top 10 battle. Tommie Agee, Lionel James, and Bo Jackson rushed for 450 yards to lead #3 Auburn to a win over Boomer Esiason’s #7 Maryland.
- The last time Auburn played in the Music City Bowl was in 2018 when the Tigers beat Purdue 63-14.
- This will be Auburn’s 47th bowl (15th most nationally) and 3rd Music City Bowl.
- This will be Maryland’s 30th bowl (42nd most nationally) and 1st Music City Bowl.
- Both teams started football in 1892.
- Auburn has won 799 games.
- Maryland has won 676 games.
- Auburn will be the away team and presumably wear their road whites.
