AUBURN, Ala. – A most abnormal college football season will conclude for Auburn on a familiar day in a familiar city: New Year's Day in Orlando, Florida, the Tigers' eighth straight bowl appearance, 45th all-time, and sixth in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.
"We're ecstatic about representing the SEC in Orlando in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl," Auburn interim head coach Kevin Steele said. "I've talked to a couple of the players already, they're extremely excited about it. It gives them an opportunity to one more time fight for the Auburn family and show what we are at Auburn as a football program."
Auburn (6-4) will meet No. 15 Northwestern (6-2) in the 75th Vrbo Citrus Bowl at noon CT on Friday, Jan. 1 on ABC at Camping World Stadium. The Tigers' all-time bowl record is 24-18-2.
"Like everybody else, we've been through a lot of ups and downs with the COVID season," Steele said. "These guys have been resilient. They've shown a lot of character, leadership and the ability to adapt in a way that I know the Auburn family is very proud of."
Auburn's student-athletes will return to campus on Saturday after spending Christmas Eve and Christmas at home, making for a condensed week of preparation before the bowl game.
"We're going to adapt and make it work the best we can with the schedule we've got," Steele said. "Anytime you have an opportunity to go to a bowl game like the Citrus Bowl, these guys love to play football on a national stage. They're excited about it, they're ready to get to work."
This will be the second meeting between Auburn and Northwestern. The Tigers won the first, a 38-35 overtime thriller in the 2010 Outback Bowl.
"Had an opportunity to win in regulation, didn't work out, and then got to overtime, had some crazy things happen and then we ended up a little bit short," said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, in his 15th season at his alma mater. "Great respect for the Auburn program. It's going to be a great challenge against a very talented Auburn team. We've got a lot to learn about them, but from afar, I'm obviously very impressed. We're going to definitely have a challenge."
The Tigers will try to end Northwestern's three-bowl win streak, a point of pride for Fitzgerald, whose program has won four of its past five bowl games, beginning with the Gator Bowl following the 2012 season, the Wildcats' first bowl victory since 1948.
"I think Pat Fitzgerald and what he has done at Northwestern, and the consistency with which he's done it, I really think you're looking at a future hall of fame coach," Steele said. "He's that good at what he does."
Auburn is tied with Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State for the most Vrbo Citrus Bowl appearances all-time. The Tigers are 3-2 in Citrus Bowl trips, with wins over Boston College in 1982, Southern Cal (1986 season) and Penn State (2002 season), and losses to Michigan (2000 season) and Wisconsin (2005 season).
"This is about the players," Steele said. "We've got leaders on this team and an unbelievable coaching staff that is made up of winners, competitive guys who love Auburn, so leading it is not a hard challenge. The kind of players we have, their character, their make-up, their love for Auburn University, their competitive spirit."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
Vrbo Citrus Bowl bid allows Tigers to 'fight for the Auburn family'
