Weeks of speculation will soon end regarding the details on No. 19 Missouri footballÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s bowl game. The Tigers will find out where, when and who theyÐÔÊӽ紫ý™ll face during a live show after the College Football Playoff bracket is revealed at 11 a.m. Sunday on ESPN.
Mizzou (9-3) and coach Eli Drinkwitz are in position to secure back-to-back double-digit win seasons after the TigersÐÔÊӽ紫ý™ 28-21 Battle Line Rivalry victory over Arkansas on Saturday at Mizzou Arena. Drinkwitz would be the first MU coach to accomplish the feat since former coach Gary Pinkel did in 2007-08 and 2013-14.
Despite expectations of a CFP appearance after a successful 11-2 campaign last season that included a 14-3 Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, the Tigers struggled on the road this year against Southeastern Conference opponents. A 41-10 blowout loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 5, a shutout 34-0 defeat at the hands of Alabama on Oct. 26 and a narrow 34-30 loss to South Carolina on Nov. 16 all played a part in snuffing out MizzouÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s chances at making the CFP.
Still, the Tigers position in both the SEC and within the Top-25 rankings have them poised as a prospect for these six bowl games:
- The TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn.).
- The Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27 in Las Vegas).
- The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.).
- The ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31 in Tampa, Fla.).
- The AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Dec. 27 in Memphis, Tenn.).
- The Texas Bowl (Dec. 31 in Houston).
Of these options, four are the biggest hotspots in national bowl game predictions.
Music City Bowl vs. Michigan, Iowa or Nebraska
Since the end of the regular season, the Music City Bowl has been the popular projection for Missouri. Who the Tigers will play, however, has been the bigger question.
Mizzou has never played in the Music City Bowl, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. Analysts such as 247ÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Brad Crawford, College Football NetworkÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Oliver Hodgkinson and Athlon SportsÐÔÊӽ紫ý™ Steven Lassan have predicted the Tigers to face off against Iowa.
The Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten Conference) finished the 2024 season as the No. 6 team in its conference following a narrow 13-10 win over Nebraska on Nov. 29. Missouri and Iowa have gone head-to-head 13 times, with the Tigers holding a narrow 7-6 all-time series lead. The pair were slated to meet in the 2020 Music City Bowl before the game was eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missouri and Iowa have played just once in the 21st century: a 27-24 Hawkeyes victory in the 2010 Insight Bowl ÐÔÊӽ紫ý” now known as the Rate Bowl ÐÔÊӽ紫ý” in Tempe, Arizona.
CBS Sports analyst Jerry Palm predicts that the Tigers will face Michigan in the Music City Bowl.
The Wolverines (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten Conference) are coming off of their own 13-10 win, with Michigan upsetting then-No. 2 Ohio State this past Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Missouri and the Wolverines are tied 2-2 in the all-time series between the two programs. The most recent matchup occurred in 1975, when the Tigers fell 31-7 in Ann Arbor.
Action NetworkÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Brett McMurphy also thinks Mizzou will play in the Music City Bowl, but he thinks Nebraska will join them.
MissouriÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s old-time rival holds a 65-36 series lead over the Tigers. Nebraska (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten Conference) won the last meeting between the pair: a 31-17 Cornhuskers victory in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Las Vegas Bowl vs. Colorado or USC
The Tigers have never played in the Sin City, but analysts predict they may play their bowl game in the Las Vegas Bowl at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 27 in Las Vegas.
Sports IllustratedÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Patrick Andres and Saturday Down SouthÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Ethan Stone both project Missouri to face Colorado in the bowl game.
Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12 Conference) ranks No. 4 in its conference and is coming off a 52-0 blowout win over Oklahoma State. Missouri holds a 42-31 all-time series lead over the Buffaloes.
ESPN analyst Kyle Bonagura predicts Missouri will face USC (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten Conference) in the Las Vegas Bowl. The TrojansÐÔÊӽ紫ý™ 49-35 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday cemented their No. 11 spot in the conference. Missouri and USC have only faced each other three times in history: in 1924, 1976 and 1977. The Trojans hold a 2-1 series lead, with Mizzou falling 27-10 in their most recent matchup.
Gator Bowl vs. Louisville
USA TodayÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Erick Smith predicts Missouri will play in the Gator Bowl against Louisville.
The bowl game is slated for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Tigers have three Gator Bowl appearances, with their last appearance being their lone victory in their three-game history: a 35-10 win over Alabama on Dec. 28, 1968.
Louisville (8-4, 5-3 Big 12 Atlantic Coast Conference) ranks as the No. 5 team in the ACC following the CardinalsÐÔÊӽ紫ý™ 41-14 win over Kentucky. Mizzou and the Cardinals have met just once, with the Tigers beating Louisville in a lopsided 34-3 affair Sept. 26, 1981, in Columbia.
ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Iowa
ESPN analyst Mark Schlabach predicts Missouri will head south for the ReliaQuest Bowl to play Iowa.
The ReliaQuest Bowl, slated for 11 a.m. Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida, is the lone New Years Eve projection for the Tigers on this list. Missouri has never made an appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
