Dec. 14, 2017
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Auburn formally accepted its invitation to play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, and if there was one thing that was clear from the press conference, it was that the season isn't over for this team. They're not content simply returning to a New Year's Six bowl for the second straight year. They want to win.
Fans might be disappointed Auburn is playing in Atlanta and not New Orleans or Pasadena on Jan. 1, but this is one of the six most prestigious bowls in college football. It's against UCF, the only undefeated team remaining in FBS. And it's a chance for the Tigers to win 11 games.
"I think the biggest thing right now is our team is hungry," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "Our team is excited to play in this game against the only undefeated team left. We're extremely motivated from the standpoint of a chance to win 11 games. The tradition we have here at Auburn is the best in the country, and it's only been done six times. This will be a team that, if we can pull of the 11th win, will be remembered and talked about a long time around here."
A win in the Peach Bowl would also send the seniors out the right way, and maybe more importantly, it would create some momentum for Auburn heading into next season.
That momentum is significant because the other major takeaway from Wednesday was how bright the future is for this Auburn football program. From recruiting to keeping the current staff to winning the bowl game, it's all about the future for Malzahn.
"We have depth," the fifth-year Auburn coach said. "We're recruiting extremely well again. I said this before the year, but I feel like the next three or four years are going to be our best years, at least since I've been at Auburn. I believe that more today than I even did at the first of the year. So I feel very good about where we're at moving forward."
So no, the Tigers are not in the College Football Playoff this year. But it doesn't mean they won't be in it next year or the year after that. And coming into this season, only six teams had played in a New Year's Six bowl in back-to-back years. You can now add Auburn to that list, putting the program in elite company.
However, it's not about just making it. It's about winning.
Injury update
It was clear Kerryon Johnson wasn't fully healthy for the SEC championship game. So that begs the question: How healthy will he be for the Peach Bowl? And will he play?
"I know he'll want to play," Malzahn said. "He's a great competitor. All of our guys will want to play. Our guys play for each other. So we'll see where that goes. I'll have a better idea once we get out to practice and move around and everything that goes with that."
Last week, Johnson was named the SEC offensive player of the year by both the Associated Press and the league's coaches. This week, the junior running back has been selected to various All-America teams (AP, AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News).
Auburn will begin bowl practice Friday.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf