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The bye week is over, and the final stretch of the regular season is here as the Missouri Tigers (7-1, 3-1 SEC) come in ranked No. 14 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll and No. 12 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.
With four games remaining, Mizzou has everything meaningful to play for.
A New Year’s Day bowl game in Florida? That’s certainly on the table.
A New Year’s Six bowl? That’s not out of the question.
“This means MU is firmly in play for a New Year’s Six Bowl for the 2023 season” — Columbia Daily Tribune’s Chris Kwiecinski on Mizzou’s No. 12 College Football Playoff ranking.
#Mizzou has earned its highest College Football Ranking on Tuesday, slotting in at No. 12.
— Chris Kwiecinski (@OchoK_) October 31, 2023
At 7-1, the committee has taken notice.
Here’s what that means for Mizzou: pic.twitter.com/LrlXcVgD4j
Heck, even the College Football Playoff? Why not? Mizzou is one of the few teams in the country that control their own destiny to make the playoff.
back of the envelope, I think only 6 teams definitely control their Playoff fate no matter what else happens: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Washington, & Missouri. everybody else, I can imagine a scenario where they get left out even if they run the table.
— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) October 29, 2023
A long shot, for sure — but it’s not impossible. The Tigers would have to win out — and that road starts with a massive opportunity at No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens on Saturday.
As Mizzou gears up for the program’s biggest game in nearly a decade, let’s check in on the latest national bowl projections as we enter Week 10.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs Maryland (Dec. 30 in Nashville) 1:00 p.m. CST on ABC
($$) ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs West Virginia (Dec. 29 in Memphis) 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN
($$) ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: TaxAct Texas Bowl vs Oklahoma State (Dec. 27 in Houston) 8:00 p.m. CST on ESPN
Action Network’s Brett McMurphy: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Virginia Tech (Dec. 27 in Charlotte) 4:30 p.m. CST on ESPN
($$) The Athletic: TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs Wisconsin (Dec. 30 in Nashville) 1:00 p.m. CST on ABC
247Sports: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs NC State (Dec. 27 in Charlotte) 4:30 p.m. CST on ESPN
Athlon Sports: TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs Maryland (Dec. 30 in Nashville) 1:00 p.m. CST on ABC
College Football News: TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs Nebraska (Dec. 30 in Nashville) 1:00 p.m. CST on ABC
College Football Network: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Iowa (Jan. 1 in Tampa) 11:00 a.m. CST on ESPN2
Sporting News: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs Minnesota (Jan. 1 in Orlando) 12:00 p.m. CST on ABC
Saturday Down South: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Louisville (Jan. 1 in Tampa) 11:00 a.m. CST on ESPN2
USA Today: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs Wisconsin (Jan. 1 in Orlando) 12:00 p.m. CST on ABC
Total Count: Music City (4) Mayo (2), ReliaQuest (2), Citrus (2), Liberty (1), Teas (1)
While some of these bowl projections may seem underwhelming for a team that’s 7-1 and ranked No. 12 in the College Football Playoff, there’s plenty of football left to be played for Mizzou to determine their own fate.
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