Half Empty: It’s the Birmingham Bowl. The post-season punchline. And losing it would be worse than not going to a bowl game. Which is why it really kind of sucks that once we accepted that it was actually happening, once it was just a matter of which also-ran would also by vying for the Buns of Steel, it was revealed that Auburn would be playing a, you know, 11-2 Houston team. I mean, I know it’s Houston. But still, that second L was only a 35-20 conference championship game loss to playoffs bound Cincinnati.
Half Full: Despite the Damned If You Win, Even More Damned If You Don’t position Auburn (once again) finds itself in, all the reasons that have most experts picking Houston might also make winning this Birmingham Bowl something close to impressive, something to provide some emotional wiggle room heading into 2022 (especially if Cincinnati somehow shocks the world).