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What are Missouri football’s bowl options? Possibilities, and prediction
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- What are Missouri football’s bowl options? Possibilities, and prediction
Nine options are, technically, possible for Missouri football's bowl game.
But the net of actual options isn't nearly that wide.
Mizzou will learn its bowl destination Sunday, Dec. 7. Yes, that's the same day the Tigers ' men's basketball team plays the Border War against Kansas. An action-packed Sunday is on deck.
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There's a notable landmark at stake for Mizzou: The Tigers are one win from securing a 30th victory in the past three seasons. That would match the best three-season mark in program history , set by Gary Pinkel's teams in the three-season stretches from 2006-08 and 2007-09.
Here are the bowl options for SEC teams at the end of the 2025 season:
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Texas Bowl (Dec. 27, Houston, Texas, vs. Big 12)
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Gator Bowl (Dec. 27, Jacksonville, Fla., vs ACC)
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Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn., vs. Big Ten)
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Duke's Mayo Bowl (Jan. 2, Charlotte, N.C., vs ACC)
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ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla., vs Big Ten)
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Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn., vs Big 12)
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Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 19, Tampa, Fla., vs American/ACC)
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Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 29, Birmingham, Ala., vs. American/MAC/CUSA)
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Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla., vs. Big Ten)
We count nine. But you can narrow that list down to as little as two.
Let's run through it:
Where is Missouri highly unlikely to go bowling?
Gasparilla Bowl; Birmingham Bowl; Liberty Bowl; Citrus Bowl
With eight wins, Mizzou has probably played its way out of lower-tier bowls like Gasparilla and Birmingham. Those games are typically filled with barely eligible teams, like 6-6 Vanderbilt last season. So, take those two off.
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The same goes for the Liberty Bowl, which hasn't had an SEC teams with more than seven wins this century. Not impossible, but extremely unlikely that Missouri bucks that trend.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Citrus Bowl gets its pick of non-CFP SEC teams, so while Missouri could theoretically end up there, we wouldn't expect it. Texas seems like the most-likely option. An eight-win Mizzou isn't going here.
Where is Mizzou probably not going?
ReliaQuest Bowl; Music City Bowl; Duke's Mayo Bowl
Emphasis on probably. These options aren't completely out of contention, but the likelihood tells us Mizzou will go elsewhere. Here's why:
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Almost every report out of Iowa has it penciled in for the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve in Tampa. Mizzou faced the Hawkeyes last season in a bowl game. It's highly unlikely that the matchup will repeat.
On a similar train of thought, take the Music City Bowl off the table. Mizzou went to Nashville last season, and while it's not technically impossible that Missouri returns, we'd guess the bowl's reps would like the home-state Tennessee Volunteers a little bit more.
The exception here is for a possible matchup like Mizzou vs. Illinois for a Braggin' Rights football renewal. That could carry some sway.
Mizzou has received multiple projections to go to the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, but that doesn't quite align with what Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch is looking for in a bowl destination.
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"To me, the bowl experience is first of all about who you're playing," Veatch said in November 2024. "And, so, it can be a meaningful game against a brand that you want to play against. And ideally, it can be a place or location our fans want to get to. Something warm is always nice. But in the end, it's about the opponent."
A game against an ACC opponent, probably Duke or Louisville, doesn't move the needle. Charlotte in January is hardly tropical. Depending on how the CFP field falls, the SEC also won't have enough eligible teams to fill its bowl obligations, and the Duke's Mayo Bowl would be a prime contender to get a Group of Six team in the SEC's place.
So, there likely goes the potential for an Eli Drinkwitz mayonnaise shower.
Dec 30, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz holds the trophy up above his head against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the trophy presentation at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
So, what are the likeliest options?
Texas Bowl; Gator Bowl
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That leaves us with two options: Texas Bowl (Dec. 27, Houston, Texas, vs. Big 12); and Gator Bowl (Dec. 27, Jacksonville, Fla., vs ACC).
Mizzou has received multiple projections to play in both of those games.
More: Coaching carousel is off rails, and Missouri football did well to de-board
More: 5 biggest Missouri football storylines to watch in December
CBS Sports has the Tigers traveling to the Texas Bowl to face Iowa State in a Big Eight/12 renewal of a game that's been played 104 times overall, but not since 2011.
The Athletic projects Mizzou to play Miami in the Gator Bowl. Some sunny December weather and a household name like the 'U' would be worth the longer travel for the Missouri athletic department, we'd guess.
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Missouri football bowl prediction for 2025
Our prediction? The Texas Bowl.
These games, of course, aren't quite what they used to be. The extra practices are the biggest benefit. If Mizzou can renew an old conference and regional rivalry with the Cyclones, that's interesting and worth the effort.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What are Missouri football's bowl options? Top options, prediction
