Missouri’s path to the College Football Playoff got a lot narrower after Saturday’s 34-20 loss to Texas in Columbia, and the latest bowl projections reflect that reality.
The Tigers were already sitting near the back of a crowded group of two-loss SEC teams in the CFP’s first top 25 rankings, and another defeat did them no favors. With three regular-season games still to go, Missouri is now being projected all over the postseason map.
The road gets tougher first. Missouri heads to No. 1 Georgia on Nov. 14 in Athens, then finishes the regular season with back-to-back home games against Kentucky and Oklahoma.
ESPN’s projections split the difference on where Eli Drinkwitz’s team could land. Mark Schlabach has Missouri headed to the Las Vegas Bowl for a matchup with Arizona, while Kyle Bonagura sends the Tigers to the Kinder’s Texas Bowl in Houston against Baylor.
A trip to Las Vegas would be a first for Missouri in bowl play, and the Tigers have not faced Arizona since 1967. The Las Vegas Bowl is set for Dec. 31 at Allegiant Stadium.
Bonagura’s Texas Bowl pick would bring back an old memory Missouri would rather avoid. The Tigers last played in that game in 2017, when they lost to Texas. This year’s Texas Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 31 at Reliant Stadium.
CBS Sports sees a different Big 12-era reunion. Brad Crawford has Missouri in the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State, a program the Tigers have already met twice in bowls since joining the SEC - in the 2014 Cotton Bowl and the 2018 Liberty Bowl.
Sports Illustrated sends Missouri to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl, where Bryan Fischer has the Tigers facing UCF on Jan. 2.
UCF just survived Kansas 33-32 on a last-second touchdown pass, but still needs one more win to lock up bowl eligibility. Scott Frost is the Knights’ head coach.
Athlon Sports keeps Missouri in Houston for a second straight week of projections, with Steven Lassan again placing the Tigers in the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are 6-3.
The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman takes Missouri back to Memphis as well, but with a different opponent: Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia team in the Liberty Bowl. Missouri beat West Virginia in the 1998 Insight Bowl, and the teams also played home-and-home games in 2016 and 2019.
In Other News...
Eli Drinkwitz Owned What Really Undid Mizzou Against Texas
The conversation around Missouris 34-20 loss to Texas has centered on the kind of call that can dominate a postgame discussion, but Eli Drinkwitz pointed the focus back where he thought it belonged. Missouris defense had too many communication breakdowns, especially in coverage assignments, and those mistakes helped open the door for Texas to create scoring chances. For a team that wanted to make a statement in a matchup like that, the missed details on the back end proved costly.
Drinkwitz didnt try to hide from it after the game, choosing instead to frame the loss as one of missed opportunities rather than officiating. That matters for Missouri because it shifts the attention from a controversial fumble ruling involving Arch Manning to the larger issue of execution, which is where the Tigers have to clean things up if they want to turn close games into wins. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Defends Officiating As Missouri Fallout Keeps Growing
The fallout from Missouris Week 10 loss to Texas has stretched well beyond the final whistle, with the SEC now spending as much time defending its officiating process as explaining the call itself. Commissioner Greg Sankey pushed back on the public criticism that followed the game, arguing that broadcasters should not be so quick to question rulings without having the full picture, while also acknowledging how hard it is to expect perfection from officials every week.
For Missouri, the larger issue is less about one controversial moment than what comes next for a program and fan base that still want answers. Sankey said the league is continuing discussions about making the review process more transparent, a sign the conference knows the scrutiny is not going away anytime soon. Even with the explanation, the sense around Columbia is that the conversation around that game is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Luther Burden III Delivered A Highlight Missouri Fans Couldn't Fully Enjoy
Luther Burden III gave Missouri fans a moment worth replaying on Sunday Night Football, hauling in a touchdown catch that flashed the kind of playmaking ability that made him one of the most electric Tigers to come through Columbia. It was the sort of highlight that travels fast and reminds Missouri supporters how much talent he brings to the biggest stages.
The celebration, though, came with a concern attached, as Burden later left the game because of a possible concussion. For a fan base already juggling plenty of fall and winter storylines, it was another reminder that the joy of seeing former Tigers shine can turn quickly into something far more uneasy. Missouri football now turns toward a tough matchup with Georgia as a sizable underdog, while the basketball team and volleyball program keep adding their own layers to the season. [Read more 🡒]