Missouri football has been bowl eligible for more than a month, securing the eligibility-sealing sixth win back on Oct. 19 against Auburn.
With two wins and two losses since then, an 8-3 overall record, and with Arkansas on Saturday at home left on the schedule, the Tigers’ potential bowl destinations have narrowed. The College Football Playoff dream is shot; the Citrus Bowl is likely just out of reach; the lower-tier bowls are in the rearview.
Mizzou, as the Tribune noted Saturday after the Tigers’ win over Mississippi State, is likely to fall into one of the six aptly named, SEC-affiliated Pool of Six bowls.
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Those, ordered by date, are as follows:
The Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27, Las Vegas); the Liberty Bowl (Dec. 27, Memphis, Tenn.); the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn.); the Texas Bowl (Dec. 31, Houston); the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla.); and the Gator Bowl (Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Fla.).
More: Missouri football beat Mississippi State doing what it has done best: Bouncing back
More: Missouri football report card: Here’s how we graded Mizzou in road win at Mississippi State
So, where will it be? Mizzou won’t have an answer until Dec. 8, when ESPN will hold a live selection show. Here is where the national media has Missouri projected to play its bowl game.
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Hint: Jacksonville and Vegas are popular landing spots.
Action Network: Missouri football vs. Louisville in Gator Bowl
Brett McMurphy of Action Network has Missouri projected to play Louisville in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
Louisville is 7-4 this season with a 5-3 mark in ACC play, which will fall short of making the conference title game. The Cardinals have a nonconference game against Kentucky to close the season.
Mizzou has not played in the Gator Bowl since 1968, when coach Dan Devine’s Tigers knocked off the legendary Bear Bryant’s Alabama, 35-10.
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ESPN: Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC, Gator Bowl vs. Louisville
Mark Schlabach of ESPN also has the Tigers facing Louisville in the Gator Bowl in his updated bowl projections.
His colleague Kyle Bonagura, however, has Missouri heading west to face USC in the Las Vegas Bowl, which is played on Dec. 27 at Allegiant Stadium in Sin City.
USC became bowl-eligible Saturday night by beating UCLA on the road and getting its sixth win of the season. The Trojans close their season against Notre Dame on Saturday in Los Angeles.
USA Today: Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC
Erick Smith of USA Today also is sending Mizzou to the desert to play Southern California.
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Missouri has never played a bowl game in Las Vegas. The last time Mizzou played USC was in 1977, when the Tigers lost 27-10 in Columbia.
CBS Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Michigan
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports hasn’t wavered on his projection for Mizzou in multiple weeks: It’s the Music City Bowl vs. reigning national champion Michigan on Dec. 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Wolverines became bowl eligible on Saturday by hammering Northwestern 50-6 at home. Coached by Sherrone Moore, Michigan has just ‘The Game’ to play in the regular season, as it heads to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State this upcoming Saturday.
Mizzou has never made it all the way to the Music City Bowl. The Tigers were scheduled to play Iowa in the 2020 edition of the bowl game, but the game was canceled due to the pandemic.
If this projection plays out, it would be the second straight year Missouri has played a Big Ten bigwig in its bowl game, as the Tigers defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl last season.
Average gasoline prices in Missouri have risen 7.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.74 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,940 stations in Missouri.
However, prices in Missouri are 6.7 cents per gallon lower than they were a month ago and stand 11.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to a news release from GasBuddy. The national average price of diesel has declined 1.3 cents in the last week and stands at $3.503 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Missouri was priced at $2.34 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.69 per gallon.
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The cheapest gas in Columbia was priced at $2.69 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s website. Jefferson City’s cheapest gas was priced at $2.64 per gallon.
St. Louis gas prices have risen 13.4 cents per gallon from last week with gas prices currently at $2.91 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. Kansas City gas prices have risen 10 cents per gallon, and gas prices are approximately $2.75 per gallon.
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The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.01 per gallon Monday. The national average is down 11.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 23.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
“Ahead of Thanksgiving, motorists continue to be teased by the prospect of a $2.99 per gallon national average, a level now seen in 32 states. But for the last few weeks, the stars just haven’t quite aligned,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the news release.
De Haan said in the release that Russia’s threats after Ukraine used long-range U.S. missiles have contributed to a hike in oil prices.
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“Now, some promotions ahead of Thanksgiving are pushing gas prices back down, even as oil remains elevated,” De Haan said in the release. “For now, we’re just pennies away from the national average falling to $2.99, but for a third year, we may again fall short. As Americans prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving, we’re seeing the lowest national average price of gasoline since 2021, with a far better economic picture than when gas prices were last this low.”
Which Missouri high school athlete had the best week?
Each week, SBLive scours the state for the top fall and winter sports performers, from football to basketball from all contests in the week of Nov. 17-23. That included the state championships in boys soccer this past weekend.
Congrats toSLUH‘s Connor Dunker, who ran away as the leading vote-getter with 56% of the votes towin SBLive‘s Missouri Athlete of the Week for Nov. 11-16.
The junior won the 200-yard freestyle and was on the winning 400-yard freestyle relay. He also two medals for the Jr. Bills by taking third in the 500-yard freestyle and on the 200-yard freestyle relay.
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Scroll down, read up on the nominees and cast your vote for your winner. Voting closes Sunday, Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.
If you would like to make a nomination in a future weeks, email swanson@scorebooklive.com.
MISSOURI ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
Henry Acorn, Rockhurst cross country
Competing in the Nike Cross Midwest Regional Championship on Sunday, the Virginia signee took sixth place. The Hawklets took second overall and advanced to the Nike National Championship.
Addilyn Amos, Troy Buchanan girls wrestling
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Competing in her first Schuman Scramble, the team’s home meet, the freshman went 5-0 with five pins — three in the first period.
Terance Bills, Lafayette Wildwood football
The junior wide receiver caught a pair of touchdowns — 25 and 27 yards — in a 30-18 win over Cardinal Ritter in the Class 5 playoffs on Saturday.
Anna Bowles, Francis Howell girls wrestling
The junior posted a 5-0 mark to take first place for the Vikings at the St. Clair Scramble. She won the 125-pound title with five tech falls. Francis Howell won the team title as well.
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Nic Calvaruso, Jefferson City Helias Catholic football
The junior booted a 36-yard field goal in OT to help the Crusaders claim a 24-21 win over Republic on Saturday, avenging a loss in the playoffs last year to the Tigers.
Jack Cooley, Hamilton Penney football
The running back scored twice and added an interception that led to a touchdown in the Hornets’ 35-13 win over North Platte in a district title game on Friday.
Zyree Collins, St. Mary’s South Side boys basketball
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The Dragons scoring standout picked up where he left off last year. He scored 27 points, hitting 10 of 11 2-point shots, in an 86-34 St. Pius X Festus on Nov. 22.
Jackson Crews, St. Joseph Bishop LeBlond football
In what was a crazy finish to an 8-man game, LeBlond intercepted a hail mary at the buzzer and ran it back and then the senior got a lateral pitch and scored to give the Eagles a 60-54 win over Rock Port on Friday.
Jacob Eberhart, Kirkwood football
The wide receiver had seven catches for 158 yards and a touchdown and also had his first rushing touchdown of the season as the Pioneers beat Jackson on Friday.
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Will Geary, Valley Park boys soccer
One of the best soccer players ever in MSHSAA capped off his career by leading the Hawks to the Class 1 title. He tied the state tournament record with 5 goals in a semifinal win and then added 2 goals and an assist in the title win. He broke the MSHSAA championship site record for most goals (7) and most points (15 points).
Josie Hosea, Kirkwood girls wrestling
At the Lady E. Ford Memorial Tournament in Affton, Hosea took first place in the 190-pound bracket. She won four of the five by pins in the first period.
Loganne Love, Principia girls basketball
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The freshman had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday in a 79-42 win over St. Pius X (Festus) in Farmington.
Colton Miller, Adrian football
In the Class 1 District 3 championship game, he threw a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and kicked the game-winning field goal for the Blackhawks in a 17-16 win over Marionville.
Roman Miller, Seneca football
In a 55-26 win over Mount Vernon in the Class 3 quarterfinals, Miller accounted for three touchdowns on the ground for the Indians.
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Jonathan Moore, Lutheran North football
The sophomore became the Crusaders’ single-season record holder for touchdowns in a season with 35, which happened during a playoff game on Saturday.
Sheek Pearson, John Burroughs boys basketball
The 6-foot-10 junior dropped in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 72-57 win over Ladue Horton Watkins on Nov. 22.
Henry Sanders, SLUH boys soccer
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The junior midfielder had the lone goal in 1-0 win against Liberty North in a Class 4 semifinal game on Friday. SLUH then beat De Smet on Saturday to win the state title.
Alyzah Scaggs, Festus girls basketball
The Lady Tigers got 25 points from the junior in a 64-49 win over West County (Leadwood) in the Farmington Tournament on Saturday. Scaggs drained six 3-pointers on the night.
Dane Schlotzhauer, Tipton football
The junior connected with Paxton Pyle for the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left to give the Cardinals a 42-36 win over Harrisburg to claim Class 1 District 2 finals. It was the first district crown for Tipton since 2012.
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Sadie Sehnert, Wright City girls wrestling
The junior didn’t have to wrestle for more than 1:05 in her five matches on Saturday at the Wright City Invitational. She had two pins in 30 seconds or less to win the 135-pound bracket.
Jordan Speiser, Lutheran St. Charles girls basketball
The Lady Cougars picked up a 61-57 win over Alton, Ill., on Saturday behind Speiser’s 29-point effort. The Kansas State signee went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and hit 5 3-pointers.
Carter Temple, Kearney football
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The Bulldogs starting quarterback ran for four touchdowns as the Bulldogs won their 24th straight in a 49-14 triumph over Warrensburg on Friday.
Seaton Thompson, Ladue Horton Watkins boys soccer
He stopped every shot in the state semifinals and finals and helped the Rams win the Class 3 title. He had shutouts in both wins.
Wyatt Vincent, Nixa football
He caught the game-winning touchdown with 10.4 left in the fourth to help the Eagles rally for a 21-20 win over Lee’s Summit North in a Class 6A playoff game.
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Niko Vuong, Clayton boys soccer
The junior scored a goal in a 4-0 win over Logan-Rogersville in the semifinals and added a goal in a 3-0 win over St. Michael the Archangel in the Class 2 finals on Nov. 21. The state title was the first for the Greyhounds.
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll are intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified
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