Auburn Football: 3 reasons to watch Music City Bowl vs. Purdue
By Phil Poling
No. 2: Could this be Malzahn’s final game at Auburn?
Auburn’s Gus Malzahn has been a topic of conversation in recent weeks, and not for the benefit of the head coach – other than the fact he might be receiving a lump sum of cash many of us could only dream about.
Reports from 247sports claimed Malzahn was on the verge of accepting a reduced contract buyout from Auburn, as he’s owed over 30 million dollars after receiving a seven-year, 49 million dollar extension following the 2017 season.
However, things change rather quickly in college football. Malzahn received that extension in part because of the Tigers’ late 2017 success, when they defeated Alabama and Georgia while both were ranked No. 1 in the country. His track record at Auburn isn’t filled with those types of victories, though. Through six seasons at Auburn, the Tigers are 52-27 overall, but a woeful 28-20 in the SEC.
Bowl season hasn’t been very kind to Malzahn and the Tigers, either, as he’s coached them to a 1-4 record overall in bowl games. He led them to the BCS National Championship Game in 2013 during his first season, but lost to Florida State, 34-31.
A loss in the Outback Bowl to Wisconsin in 2014 moved his bowl record to 0-2 before finally winning one in 2015 against Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl. Losses to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and UCF in the Peach Bowl followed in 2016 and 2017, putting a heap of pressure on Malzahn to defeat Purdue this season. If the Tigers lose, will his reign at Auburn finally come to an end?