Missouri bowl projections after Week 14: Exploring Tigers' postseason chances
The Missouri Tigers beat the Arkansas Razorbacks 28-21 in Week 14 to improve to 9-3 overall, and 5-3 in SEC play. The win allowed them to finish above .500 in conference play for the second consecutive season while also putting them in position to have back-to-back seasons with at least ten wins for the first time in a decade.
The Tigers were ranked 11th in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll and spent much of the season in contention to reach the College Football Playoff in the first season of the 12-team format. That now appears out of the question as they were ranked 22nd in the latest rendition of the AP Top 25 Poll. The more important College Football Playoff rankings won't be updated until Tuesday, however, Missouri entered the week ranked 21st.
The Tigers have ensured that they will play in a bowl game, however, as FBS teams must finish with at least six wins and a winning percentage of at least .500, with only one win against an FCS opponent counting towards those numbers. Take a look at which bowl game Missouri could play in below.
Missouri bowl projections after Week 14: Exploring Tigers' postseason chances
The Missouri Tigers are bowl eligible as they finished the regular season with a 9-3 mark following their Week 14 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Tigers began the season with a 51-0 blowout victory over the FCS level Murray State Racers. They followed that up with a 38-0 win over the Buffalo Bulls to improve to 2-0.
Missouri defeated the then-No. 24-ranked Boston College Eagles in Week 3. They began SEC play the following week, needing double overtime to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores. After their first bye of the season in Week 5, the Tigers suffered a 41-10 blowout loss to the then-No. 25-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Missouri bounced back with a 45-3 win against the Massachusetts Minutemen.
They were able to narrowly escape a matchup with the Auburn Tigers, scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 46 seconds left after trailing 17-6 to begin the fourth quarter. The Tigers suffered another blowout loss in Week 9, falling 34-0 to the now-No. 11-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide that knocked them out of the rankings for the first time.
Missouri rebounded after their second bye week of the season, beating the Oklahoma Sooners after scoring two touchdowns in the final 63 seconds. They suffered a 34-30 loss to the now-No. 13-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 12 despite scoring a go-ahead touchdown with just 1:10 left on the clock.
The Tigers bounced back from the tough defeat by closing the regular season with victories over the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks. While their season got off to an encouraging start, they fell short of the SEC Championship Game - and likely the College Football Playoff.
The most common projection is that Missouri will wind up in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which will take place at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on Jan. 2.