Oklahoma vs. Auburn prediction, Sugar Bowl pick, odds, line, watch live stream
How to watch the Sugar Bowl: Game storylines, spread, time, date, TV channel
•
2 min read
After dropping two of its first three, Oklahoma went undefeated in Big 12 play to win the outright conference championship for the second straight season. Auburn picked up the SEC's New Year's Six bid as the next highest-ranked team in the College Football Playoff ranking at No. 15, edging out No. 17 Florida and No. 20 LSU for the weekend trip to New Orleans to represent the league on the big stage.
Viewing information
Date: Jan. 2, 2017
Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome -- New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN (Game will start on ESPN)
Live streams: WatchESPN / WatchESPN apps
Storylines
Oklahoma: Can Oklahoma turn around what's become a string of poor postseason performances? The Sooners got pasted by Clemson in their last two bowl games (2015's playoff semifinal obviously stinging more than the previous year's 40-6 Russell Athletic Bowl loss) since making headlines by beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Bob Stoops and the Sooners program have been on the defense off the field with revelation of Dede Westbrook's abuse allegations prior to his arrival from junior college and the scrutiny that followed the release of the video showing Joe Mixon striking a woman during his freshman season.
Auburn: What's the lasting image of a strange 2016 season? Auburn's been a top-15 team since the start of November, but the 1-2 start to the season kept the Tigers out of title contention throughout the year. The offense put up good numbers with Kamryn Pettway during the year but instability at the quarterback position and injuries hurt the team late in the year. These 15 practices and a Sugar Bowl stage could be a boost for this Auburn team hoping to have a better challenge for Alabama in 2017.
Players to watch
Kamryn Pettway, Auburn RB: Banged up late in the year, Pettway topped the conference in rushing yards per game with 1,123 yards in just nine contests (124.78 per game). After some time off, he's taking first-team reps with the Sean White in practice, while Kerryon Johnson and John Franklin III were spotted running with the twos. Oklahoma's defense has given up 200+ rushing years in each of its last three game so look for the Tigers to feature to all of its backfield to keep the Sooners on their heels and hopefully spring the big play.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma QB: The Big 12's decision to pass "The Baker Mayfield rule," allowing a player to retain a year of eligibility normally given up for an in-conference transfer if said player was no on scholarship at his first school, has allowed for another year of the league's most dangerous offensive weapon. Mayfield and the Sooners offense, like Auburn, would like to repeat their better performances from a prolific regular season and carry some juice into the offseason.
Prediction
Points! Oklahoma's defense might get picked apart by Auburn's multi-threat rushing attack, but at the same time it's hard to imagine Mayfield getting totally shut given the weapons at his disposal. Ultimately, I think the Auburn defensive front comes up with enough stops to give Gus the leverage he needs to keep a touchdown distance from the Sooners in a shootout of a Sugar Bowl. Pick: Tigers +4.5
