Missouri Tigers football vs. Iowa at Music City Bowl: Preview, TV, bet line, kickoff
THE DETAILS
When: 3 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV: ESPN
Betting line: Iowa by 14
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
FIVE THINGS
- Finish strong. Mizzou won five of its last six games and the Tigers had a real opportunity to end 2020 on a bang. But coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s team lost to Georgia and Mississippi State to close the regular season. MU is 5-5 and has surpassed expectations, but a win to close out the year — over a ranked Iowa team — would be pretty special.
- Hawkeyes soared. Speaking of finishing strong, No. 15-ranked Iowa did exactly that this season. The Hawkeyes lost their first two games, then finished the year on a six-game winning streak. They lost by just one point to Northwestern in a game that decided who would represent the Big Ten West in the conference’s championship game.
- COVID-19 pause. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz tested positive for the novel coronavirus a few days before the bowl announcement. It wasn’t expected that the Hawkeyes would need to pause football activities, but after several more positive COVID-19 tests, Iowa did, for five days. The Hawkeyes were back on the practice field Saturday in preparation for the bowl.
- Not your normal bowl game. In non-pandemic years, a bowl appearance is an elaborate undertaking — a reward for a successful season. The week leading up to the game is packed with team activities. But this game is being treated more like a typical road trip. The Tigers won’t spend much time in Nashville, though Drinkwitz made it clear that he and his daughters are excited about hanging out at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Bowl participation is still a reward for players and coaches alike.
- Missing players. The Tigers will ungergo several rounds of COVID testing to ensure their safety this week, but they already know they’ll be without some key contributors. Linebacker Nick Bolton and offensive lineman Larry Borom have declared early for the 2021 NFL Draft and will skip the postseason. That’s a blow, but running back Larry Rountree III is among those who’ve said they in fact plan to play in their final college game.
This story was originally published December 27, 2020 at 11:23 AM.
Souichi Terada
The Kansas City Star