Missouri’s bowl projections
It is starting to look more and more that the Tigers could wind up in either San Diego or Jacksonville if they don’t win the Big 12 championship game to earn the automatic bid to the Fiesta Bowl.
A lot could change between now and Dec. 7 when bowl bids are made official.
Here’s how it stands now:
BCS games (National title, Fiesta or at-large): Assuming the Big 12 South champion wins the Big 12 title game, a good chance it is in the national title game and another of the one-loss Big 12 South teams will still be ranked high enough for a BCS at-large bid.
Cotton: With the first pick after the BCS bowls of Big 12, the Cotton is still leaning toward the odd-team out of the BCs, either Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech.
Holiday: This is the key choice for the Tigers fate. It’s still between Missouri and Oklahoma State for the trip to San Diego. Is a 10-3 Tigers team a better draw than a 9-3 Cowboys? Hard to say how much to read into it but the Holiday Bowl is send a representative to watch the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game on Saturday and not the Missouri-Kansas game. One Holiday official said the bowl traditionally has looked at conference records, overall records and head-to-head results when picking its teams.
Gator: With Notre Dame’s loss to Syracuse, the Gator is looking again to exercise its option for a Big 12 team. Most of the speculation has centered around Nebraska as the choice to face an ACC team. But if the Holiday passes on Missouri, would the Gator go for the Tigers instead of the Cornhuskers? In a recent interview with the Post-Dispatch, Gator Bowl president Richard Catlett said the Big 12 had several attractive teams. He told the Washington Post that the biggest factor this year “has got to be about brings the most fans. Then it has got to be about matchups, then it has got to be about television.” Possible ACC teams are Miami and Florida State, which both have bowl history against Nebraska.
By the way, ESPN is split on its projections between Holiday and Gator for the Tigers.
Alamo: The San Antonio game picks fifth and will probably wind up with whomever the Holiday and Gator pass over.
Sun: If the Gator goes Big 12, the Sun is out of the Big 12 mix.
Looks like MIzzou , unless they win the BIg 12 Championship game will, get hosed again on the bowl selections . I dunno what it is or why , but Mizzou got stuffed last year on the BCS and this year , untill Notre Dame choked last week , they were the Gators # 1 choice ? Can you believe that ? Yes it about economy this year , who will bring the most fans and spend . And now to think the Gator Bowl is quietly spinning the Boys of Corn ? Gimme a break ! Do you really think the fans of Nebraska would pull up the whole state and go to watch that crappy team and go to Jacksonville ? Prolly … ok Mizzou you just gotta win and keep winning to get that big pay day and big day on TV , cause your not gonna get a ” reward ” for a fine season …politics once again have influenced your bowl .