Whether you’re jazzed about Auburn’s invite to the Sugar Bowl or believe the Tigers are less than deserving to be New Orleans bound, everyone should agree head coach Gus Malzahn’s team had a pretty good 2016 regular season.

Auburn finished the regular season ranked No. 14 in the final College Football Playoff rankings with an 8-4 record, giving it the second best record in the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers’ ranking being second highest in the SEC made it an automatic qualifier for the Sugar Bowl. Auburn will face Oklahoma, which won the Big 12 with a 10-2 record, on January 2.

“I’m excited for our players, coaches and the Auburn family to experience one of the best bowl games of college football,” Malzahn said in a press release. “We can’t wait for this opportunity and look forward to our trip to New Orleans.”

The appearance next month will be Auburn’s first in the Sugar Bowl since defeating Virginia Tech 16-14 in January 2005. The win capped a perfect season, however it will always be remembered as the season that could have been, with Auburn being left out of the national championship despite its perfect record. In an ironic twist, Oklahoma was one of the two teams that played for the championship for 2014 — USC being the other.

The Tigers’ 2015 regular season has been anything but casual.

Auburn opened the year with two losses in its first three games before a close win against LSU gave fans a breath of fresh air and some confidence this team could be better than previously expected. Blowout wins against Mississippi State and Arkansas in two of the next three games built confidence and a win against Ole Miss to mark a fifth consecutive win gave the Tigers an appearance similar to the 2013 season.

However, that’s when things went downhill. Injuries hit Auburn hard, and a close win at home against Vanderbilt transitioned into a loss at Georgia the following week and losing at Alabama two weeks later.

That’s where the Tigers sit currently.

In good news, it’s been announced quarterback Sean White will return for the bowl game. It also appears star tailback Kam Pettway will be fully healthy for the Sooners, as well.

If Auburn can pull out a win Jan. 2 against No. 7 Oklahoma, the 2016 season won’t have a championship like 2010 or title game appearance like 2014, but it will be a special season to remember.