What are Mizzou football’s current bowl game projections, and which are most ideal?
With Missouri’s 38-0 win over Arkansas on Friday, the Tigers finished the regular season 8-4, which has the program in good position for a respected bowl game entering championship week.
Projections have Missouri all over the board in terms of destinations and opponents. Here’s a breakdown for each of the major possibilities:
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 28, ESPN and SB Nation: Mizzou vs. North Carolina State.
Given the school’s strong alumni base in Nashville and the driving distance for in-state fans, Nashville is a logical landing place for Missouri. MU seniors Emanuel Hall and Paul Adams are also a few players that hail from the city.
But unless the ACC school is a big name like Miami, the game will lack a flashy opponent for MU. Other ACC schools like Boston College, Duke and Virginia have also been linked to MU in this game, but they still don’t move the needle for people outside the fan base. Like Drew Lock, Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley is a highly touted quarterback entering the NFL Draft, which could make the game an enticing match-up.
Taxslayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. on Dec. 31, ESPN and CBS.
ESPN projects Mizzou vs. Michigan State. This would be an interesting matchup for MU, because the Spartans have a solid defense but an archaic offense. Despite a lack of alumni in Jacksonville, Missouri has the Lock card to play there: the Jaguars have been linked to possibly drafting the Tigers quarterback in April. Local fans might come to the game to take a look at their potential future quarterback.
CBS, meanwhile, projects Mizzou vs. Wisconsin. Same bowl, different Big Ten foe. The preseason No. 4 team in the nation, the Badgers are in the running for most disappointing team of the year after a 7-5 finish. While there aren’t many storylines for Wisconsin-Missouri, the Gator Bowl would still be a great bowl game for Missouri and the weather might appeal to traveling fans. Jacksonville’s temperature on Monday morning was in the 70s.
Walk-Ons Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 27, Sporting News and Bleacher Report.
Sporting News sees MU playing BYU. This one seems a little unrealistic, because the Independence Bowl usually takes a team with six or seven wins ... which makes Missouri too good for this game. Additionally, MU played the Cougars in November 2015 and is set to play the return game in 2020. Bowls try to avoid matchups with teams that have recently played or are scheduled to play soon. This is the most unlikely of all the projections.
Bleacher Report, meanwhile, suggests MU vs. Miami. While the Hurricanes are the most attractive of all the Tigers’ projected/possible opponents, pitting former Georgia coach Mark Richt against Missouri again, the Tigers are too good for the Independence Bowl.
Autozone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Dec. 31, Sports Illustrated. Mizzou vs. Oklahoma State.
The Liberty Bowl has made it no secret that it wants Missouri. Representatives attended a number of the Tigers’ games this season. Like Nashville, the city has a strong MU alumni base and the Tigers’ roster features locals such as tailback Tyler Badie and slot receiver Johnathon Johnson. It’s also just a five-hour drive from Columbia and a straight shot down Interstate-55 for those in St. Louis.
What’s more, Barry Odom used to coach at Memphis and his return to the city would be a natural storyline. But there are red flags with this matchup. Missouri already played Oklahoma State in the 2014 Cotton Bowl and some might consider this too soon for a rematch. With eight wins, Missouri also might be too good for the Liberty Bowl.
Alex Schiffer
Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.
This story was originally published November 26, 2018 at 1:10 PM.