Aside from fulfulling the obligations necessary to collect the $1 million payout check from Auburn, there’s another reason for the Vandals to make a third trip to the state of Alabama this season.

To see how you measure up against a Power 5 conference team.

“That’s why you play any sports,” said Idaho football coach Paul Petrino, whose Vandals (3-7) play the Auburn Tigers (5-5) today at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. “It’s pride; it’s getting better every single game. We’ve got a lot a lot of guys coming back, so a lot of it is getting better these next two weeks for next year, and for their future.”

Auburn, which wraps up the regular season next Saturday at home vs. Alabama, is playing for its bowl eligibility. Three of the Tigers’ five wins came in nonconference games; Auburn is 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference.

Petrino said Auburn is stout up front, and runs the ball well — “and they do it a lot of different ways.”

Peyton Barber has rushed for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers.

Jeremy Johnson, who was replaced by Sean White as Auburn quarterback earlier in the season, is expected to start today as White nurses an injury. Johnson has passed for 710 yards and six touchdowns; White has thrown for 1,064 and one TD.

“I’ve been lucky enough to coach in that stadium twice, and I’ve been lucky enough to come out of there both times with a win,” said Petrino, who previously was an assistant at Arkansas, among other stops.

Petrino was asked if there was anything different about Jordan-Hare stadium, compared to the other storied SEC football stadiums.

He thought about it for a minute.

“The crowd, they have great fans, and they’re loud, but they’re a little more polite to the visiting team,” Petrino said. “That pregame, when the war eagle flies down, that’s pretty awesome. I was telling the players, ‘if you don’t get goosebumps and chills and aren’t ready to play at that moment, then you probably shouldn’t be playing football.’”