Hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Because of today's early kickoff, I spent my time last night in the media hospitality room of the hotel. But before that, I wrote an advance for today's game. Here's how it starts:

TAMPA, Fla. — Between them, Auburn coach Gene Chizik and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald have a wealth of defensive experience.

Nearly all of Chizik’s 23 years of coaching have been on the defensive side of the ball, and Fitzgerald, well before he assumed the head job at his alma mater, established himself as one of the best college linebackers of the ’90s.

So there will be a touch of irony today in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium, where both teams plan to unleash their up-tempo, spread offenses on one another.

“There are two defensive guys sitting up here,” Fitzgerald said during a joint press conference with Chizik earlier this week. “I think we know what gives defenses problems.”

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