Auburn football: Pac-12 showdown with Washington tabbed for bowl game

With the beginning of the college football season just days away, predictions for post-season matchups are already starting to roll through. As far as Auburn football goes, some experts say the Tigers won’t be bowl eligible by the time December rolls around, but others are slightly more optimistic.

Predicting that Auburn football won’t make it to a bowl game seems almost ludicrous. Sure, the Tigers had a down season in 2021, but the last time they didn’t qualify for a post-season bowl game was back in 2012. This year, head coach Bryan Harsin absolutely must take the Tigers to the postseason or face losing his job.

While CBS Sports disagrees, 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford believes that Auburn football will face off against the Washington Huskies in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 17, 2022.

"Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 17)Tie-In: Pac-12 vs. SECProjection: Washington vs. Auburn"

Auburn has faced Washington only once before, during the regular season in 2018. The Tigers and the Huskies kicked off their seasons in Atlanta, and Auburn won the game 21-16. Currently, Auburn is on a losing streak when it comes to bowl games, having lost the last two to Minnesota (2020) in the Outback Bowl and then to Houston (2021) in the Birmingham Bowl.

As for this year, the team should see significant improvements from last year. With new coordinators on both the offense and the defense, as well as several new position coaches and plenty of new talent on the roster, fans are hoping the difference between 2022 and 2021 is night and day for Auburn football.

From projections that say the Tigers will finish last in the SEC West to speculation that Bryan Harsin could be without a job before the end of the season, the Auburn football team has a lot to prove in 2022, including that they will play in a post-season game this year.