Mizzou’s Bowl Picture: Rivalries, Road Trips, and a Whole Lot of Mayo on the Table
With an 8-4 regular season in the books and a convincing 31-17 win over Arkansas to close things out, Missouri football now shifts its focus to the postseason-and the possibilities are as wide-ranging as a Josh Heupel playbook. From Nashville to Charlotte, from Jacksonville to Houston, the Tigers have a number of intriguing bowl destinations on the table. And yes, one of them involves a coach getting doused in mayonnaise.
Let’s break down where Mizzou might be heading, what matchups are being projected, and what each would mean for a program on the cusp of tying its best three-year stretch in school history. One more win would make it 30 over the last three seasons-matching the mark set twice during the Gary Pinkel era.
ESPN: Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska or Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. Duke
ESPN’s bowl projections offer two very different flavors for Missouri fans.
Kyle Bonagura sees the Tigers heading back to Nashville for a second straight year, this time to face an old Big 12 foe in Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, sitting at 7-5, would bring some nostalgia to the Music City Bowl matchup.
These two programs have clashed 104 times, but not since 2010, when Missouri was still part of the Big 12. A rematch in Nashville would rekindle a rivalry that once helped define the Big 8 and early Big 12 years.
On the other hand, Mark Schlabach has Mizzou heading to Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Duke. The Blue Devils also finished 7-5 and are still in the hunt for an ACC title.
That’s right-despite five losses, Duke is playing for the conference crown this weekend. Should this projection hold, it would be Missouri’s first appearance in the Mayo Bowl, where the winning coach is famously baptized in mayonnaise.
Whether that’s incentive or deterrent is up for debate.
The Athletic: Gator Bowl vs. Miami
Scott Dochterman of The Athletic projects a trip to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl, where Missouri would square off against Miami.
The Hurricanes finished 10-2 and just missed out on the ACC title game and a potential College Football Playoff berth, thanks to losses to Louisville and SMU. That makes them a high-caliber opponent-and a big test for Missouri.
The Tigers haven’t faced Miami since 1989, and they haven’t played in the Gator Bowl since 1968. That game, for those keeping score, ended with a dominant 35-10 win over Bear Bryant’s Alabama. A return trip nearly six decades later could be a full-circle moment for the program.
USA Today: Music City Bowl vs. Illinois
Erick Smith of USA Today sees another rivalry revival on the horizon-this time, it’s the Braggin’ Rights series making a football cameo.
Smith has Mizzou playing Illinois in the Music City Bowl. The Illini also finished 8-4, closing their season with a win over Northwestern.
While the annual basketball showdown between these two schools is a staple, the football series has been dormant since 2010. That’s scheduled to change soon, though-Mizzou and Illinois recently adjusted their future series, with the next meeting now set for 2027 in Columbia.
A bowl game between the two would be a spicy appetizer to that upcoming series-and a chance for Mizzou to reassert itself in a rivalry that’s long overdue for a football reboot.
CBS Sports: Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports has Missouri heading to Houston for the Texas Bowl, where they’d face another familiar name from their Big 12 past: Iowa State.
The Cyclones, like Missouri, finished 8-4 and are coming off a win over Oklahoma State. These two programs have met 104 times, but haven’t shared a field since Missouri left the Big 12 in 2011. A bowl game reunion would be a throwback to the old conference grind-and a chance for Missouri to measure itself against a team that’s remained a tough out in the Big 12.
The Tigers’ last appearance in the Texas Bowl came in 2017, a loss to Texas. A return trip offers a shot at redemption-and a matchup that would carry some real emotional weight for longtime fans.
Other Possibilities: ReliaQuest, Liberty, Citrus?
Outside of the main projections, there are still a few other bowls in play.
The ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31 in Tampa) could be on the table, with a Big Ten opponent waiting. Same goes for the Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2 in Memphis), which would pit Mizzou against a Big 12 team in a more regional setting.
The Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31 in Orlando) is technically possible, but that game tends to go to the top-tier SEC teams that don’t make the College Football Playoff. Missouri’s eight wins might not be enough to crack that rotation-unless the dominoes fall just right.
Lower-tier options like the Gasparilla Bowl or Birmingham Bowl are likely off the table. Missouri’s résumé, especially with a strong finish against Arkansas, has them trending toward a mid-to-upper-tier SEC bowl slot.
What’s Next?
The official bowl announcements drop on Sunday, Dec. 7. Until then, it’s all projections and possibilities-but Missouri fans should feel good about where things stand.
Whether it’s a rivalry renewed, a shot at a 10-win Miami squad, or a mayo-soaked celebration in Charlotte, this postseason promises to be both meaningful and memorable for a Tigers team that’s found its footing under pressure.
One more win, and this group cements its place in Missouri football history. Now it’s just a matter of where-and who-they’ll face to get there.