If Oklahoma State is left out of the BCS national championship game, a trip to Fiesta Bowl is in order for the Cowboys as long as they can handle Oklahoma this Saturday. How will the rest of the Big 12 bowl games shape up and where does Missouri fit in that mix with a record of 7-5 overall, 5-4 in the Big 12? How about a lovely trip to the Bronx on December 30th?
Mizzou is in line to finish no worse than in fifth place holding a tie-breaker over Texas for that position, but with the Tigers leaving for the SEC, I could see a scenario where the Big 12 doesn’t lobby much for Missouri to play in a warm weather bowl game.
Assuming OSU beats OU and is still left out of the national title game, the Cowboys will go to the Fiesta Bowl. That leaves six other bowls available to Big 12 schools. The Cotton Bowl will choose either K-State (who hosts Iowa State) or Oklahoma. The Alamo Bowl will get the other school leaving the Insight, Holiday, Texas and Pinstripe Bowls for Baylor, Mizzou, Texas and A & M.
We’ve seen the Insight Bowl look over Mizzou in the past and I could see Baylor getting the nod over the Tigers. Texas, which could tie Missouri at 5-4 in the standings, could get chosen over Mizzou for the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. The Texas Bowl in Houston would then select A & M to have one school from the Lone Star State playing in the game, which of course leaves Missouri with a trip to the Bronx to play at Yankee Stadium.
The natural pecking order (based on standings) would have Missouri playing in the Holiday Bowl, but that selection process is up to the bowl committees and the conference hasn’t come to the defense of Missouri in the past. (Remember the Orange Bowl choosing KU over MU in 2007-2008, and Iowa State getting the nod over Mizzou two seasons ago in the Insight Bowl?)
I’m also not convinced that K-State gets the Cotton Bowl bid. Oklahoma would be a much better draw to that bowl despite OU finishing third in the standings.
Following is the Big 12’s selection order with Missourinet’s prediction:
BCS – Tostitos Fiesta Oklahoma State
Cotton Bowl vs.(SEC) Oklahoma
Alamo Bowl vs. (Pac-10) Kansas State
Insight Bowl vs. (Big Ten) Baylor
Holiday Bowl vs. (Pac-10) Texas
Texas Bowl vs. (Big Ten) Texas A & M
Pinstripe Bowl vs. (Big East) Missouri