SEC Football: Previewing the four SEC December bowl games
By Abbey Giese
Texas Bowl
The Missouri Tigers (7-5, 4-4 SEC) will play the Texas Longhorns (6-6, 5-4 Big 12) in the Texas Bowl in Houston on Dec. 27.
This is the first bowl game appearance for Missouri’s Barry Odom as a head coach. The Tigers will also play in a bowl game for the first time since 2014. That year was also the last time Missouri won the SEC East division.
Early in the season, many expected the Tigers would not be bowl eligible at the end of the year. Missouri started the season 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the SEC with a five-game losing streak. However, the Tigers finished the year with a six-game winning streak and clinched a bowl berth.
If the Tigers can keep their current winning streak alive and finish the season with a win over the Longhorns, they would add another chapter to their incredible comeback story. However, Texas is favored to win, and the Longhorns will certainly have the home field advantage with the game being played less than three hours away from their campus.
This game will not be easy for Missouri, but being the underdog and having a chance to upset Texas in their home state, may give the Tigers the motivation they need for a strong finish to what could have been a disappointing season.