2016-17 Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma vs. Auburn: Date, time, location and everything to know

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After a lackluster 2016 Sugar Bowl pitted a thrilled-to-be-here Ole Miss against drilled-by-a-locomotive Oklahoma State, the 2017 Sugar Bowl might be a better game, even though it once again plucked second-choice SEC and Big 12 teams after those leagues put their champions into the College Football Playoff.

But the Sugar Bowl retains its juicy primetime TV slot, albeit on January 2, not New Year’s Day, as the NFL’s domination of Sunday prompted college football’s bowl schedule to skip its traditionally most sacred day.

That’s made for more than a few classic Sugar Bowls, including Ohio State’s surprising upset of Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl. Points are also probably on the table for the night: No team has scored fewer than 20 points in the Sugar Bowl since Utah held Alabama to 17 in the 2009 edition of the game.

Here is everything you need to know in preparation for this year’s Sugar Bowl:

Date and time: Monday, Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m.

TV channel: ESPN

Location: New Orleans, La.

Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Last year’s score: Ole Miss 48, Oklahoma State 20

Last year’s attendance: 72,117

Teams with the most all-time appearances: Alabama, 15

Teams with the most all-time wins: Alabama, 8

Oklahoma (10-2, 9-0 in Big 12)

Oklahoma opened the season facing two talented teams in a three-week stretch, including No. 15 Houston and No. 3 Ohio State. The Sooners lost both of those games, and 2016 looked like it was going to be a long season for Sooner fans. However, Oklahoma would rebound nicely and win the next eight games, including a win over West Virginia to put them in first place in the Big 12.

Offensively, the Sooners have been impressive in 2016. They rank in the top five offensively both overall and in points, scoring over 40 per game. Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield has been lights out all season, throwing for over 3,300 yards, 35 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Receiver Dede Westbrook put on a show as well, having a record-setting month of October. He became the first Oklahoma player with at least 100 yards receiving in five straight games within a single season.

The Sooners clinched the Big 12 title with a 38-10 win over Oklahoma State on Dec. 3. 2016 wasn’t an ideal start for head coach Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma team. But throughout the season, the team has reminded us that it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish.

Auburn (8-4, 5-3 in SEC)

Auburn was considered a potential Playoff contender heading into Week 11, sitting at 8-2, but the Georgia Bulldogs ruined those hopes with their upset 13-7 win in Athens. Prior to that loss, though, Auburn’s offense was humming, specifically its rushing attack.

Auburn’s 56-3 win over Arkansas was the biggest victory against a ranked opponent in Auburn school history, and the 563 rushing yards was the most allowed by a Razorback defense in school history. On the season, Auburn’s scored the vast majority of its TDs on the ground and gone well over 3,000 team rushing yards. Leading the way for the Tigers’ ground game is Kamryn Pettaway, a TD vulture who’s over 1,000 yards on his own, even after missing two games this season due to injury.

What’s interesting about this whole season is how Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn’s presumed fate has changed throughout the year. He was on the hot seat after Auburn’s home loss to Texas A&M, which brought Auburn’s home-game losing streak to Power 5 opponents to a whopping seven games. But thanks to the six-game win streak following that loss, the Tigers are bowl-eligible -- and if they win that bowl they’re looking at at least a nine-win season. It’d be a little difficult to fire Malzahn after a season like that.