Auburn football: Ranking Tigers’ projected bowl opponents

The 2021 Auburn football season is wrapping up in the kind of fashion many Tiger fans were fearing ahead of Bryan Harsin’s first season: out of SEC title contention and with a chance to finish the season without a winning record.

Now, to be fair, this year could end on several high notes, including avenging last year’s bad loss to a bottom-feeding South Carolina and keeping intact what would become a six-year tradition of Alabama being win-less on the Plains.

The thing is, though, Alabama would have to lose to Arkansas this Sunday–along with several other results–for the SEC West to even be on the line during this season’s Iron Bowl.

So in all likelihood, AU is looking at a non-New Year’s Six bowl game during the 2021 bowl season as a result.

With publications firing off their bowl projections, Fly War Eagle is ranking Auburn’s projected bowl opponents, starting with the least exciting opponent and building to who’d we’d most want to see:

#6 projected Auburn football bowl opponent: Virginia Tech

Given the Hokies’ firing of Justin Fuente yesterday, Virginia Tech is not exactly the most exciting opponent to have opposite the Tigers during bowl season. With Co-defensive line coach J.C. Price serving as the interim coach, this team will not be one we can fairly judge, just like Auburn during last season’s Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.

In terms of being favored in a potential matchup, Virginia Tech is the most likely underdog to these Tigers. But this matchup wouldn’t inspire much in the way of excitement and would get lost in the big bowl shuffle.