It’ll be Tigers versus Buckeyes on Dec. 29!
The Missouri Tigers have been selected to play in a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time since 2014. The 9th-ranked team in the country will go up against the 7th-ranked team, The Ohio State Buckeyes. Mizzou will play in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas with one of their best teams in years with a 10-2 record.
Being one of the year’s most improved teams from their 6-6 record last year, no one thought the Tigers would be in the position they are right now and were projected to be one of the worst teams in the SEC this year. Mizzou has proven itself to the country and is looking to be a scary team with recruits from different schools and through the transfer portal. They still have one last game to prove to the nation who they are and while doing so, some money lines have them as 2.5-point favorites to win the Cotton Bowl.
Mizzou’s record against the Buckeyes could have been better. They are 1-10-1 against Ohio State. The last time they played the Tigers lost 35-14 in Columbus. If there’s ever a year they add a win to that record, it would be this year. The Tigers are playing the best ball they have in years, led by Brady Cook, Cody Shcrader, Luther Burden, the O-Line, and D-Line in the trenches.
At South, fans are excited to see this team play and are hopeful for this year’s Bowl game and many more to come. Drew Jennings is one of the most recognizable Mizzou fans here at South and can talk all day about Tigers football.
“Mizzou football wasn’t on TV very often when I grew up, but Mizzou basketball was pretty great in the early 90s. That’s where I got my love for Mizzou. But we were a Mizzou family and I went there as well,” Jennings said.
From being a Mizzou student, it’s hard not to root for them. Jenning talked about what he looks forward to seeing from Mizzou in the Cotton Bowl.
“One thing we need to do is get the ball to the tight end more. We have a nice run game with the QB and can take shots downfield while also having a quick passing game. If we give Northfleet more targets in the middle of the field, we would be extra dynamic,” Jenning said.
One thing that many people all around the nation have recognized is running back Cody Schrader. He transferred from Truman State, a Division II school. No one expected Schrader to make this much of an impact on the team, and with his last year of eligibility, he has proven he can play at the next level. Schrader has 247 carries with 1,489 rushing yards. Averaging 6 yards per carry and having a total of 13 touchdowns this season. Hopefully looking to add more to that this upcoming bowl game.
“Cody Schrader is such a nice story. He is the Everyman. Proof that hard work and belief in one’s self can make great things happen. He is a hard worker and reads the defensive and holes extremely well. He is a North and South runner which is what every coach wants on their team,” Jenning said.
“D-II football is exciting and good for Cody. Plenty of D-II players are overlooked and could have played at the D-I level. However, the majority of players are not nearly the type of man-beasts that you find in D-I. So it’s rare that a D-II player can get noticed or sharpen their skills enough to make the jump to D-I,” Jennings said.
One thing that will change next year is a 12-team playoff. Mizzou would be in the playoff if this were next year. The expansion to 12 teams is huge for the college football playoff and allows teams to prove themselves who aren’t in the top 4. Lots of fans have mixed opinions on the expansion.
“Mizzou would have been in for the 12-game playoff if it was this year! I think Mizzou could be a top-25 team every 2 out of 3 years for the next decade or so. However, the historically good teams with huge donor pools will keep us from being consistently elite. We haven’t gotten the respect over the past few years,” Jennings said.
With the expansion, Mizzou will get the opportunity and prove why the playoff expansion was much needed. Though the 12-team playoff will be a great thing for college football, the Tigers still have the Cotton Bowl first. Many fans have high hopes for a huge bowl game.
This matchup is going to be close according to the spreads and are slightly favoring Mizzou because of all of the players hopping in the transfer portal. Isabella Tober, an Ohio State Buckeye fan, has some words for her team. Specifically talking about quarterback Kyle McCord. After the regular seaon, McCord entered the transfer portal and is now a member of the Syracuse Orange. Consequently he will not be leading the Buckeye offense in the Cotton Bowl.
“I am personally glad that he has entered the transfer portal. Not that he is a bad player, but I just believe that he wasn’t ready to play up to the standards and the legacy that is being an Ohio State quarterback. For the past couple of years, we have been blessed with QBs that are flexible and able to handle the pressure and own it. But unfortunately, Kyle McCord just wasn’t able to do that. I believe to be a good QB you need to not only have an excellent arm you also need to have the ability to move/run and he just isn’t able to do both,” Tober said.
The transfer portal has affected multiple teams and unlike Mizzou, the Buckeyes have been impacted by it the most. With almost having a new team and potentially a new system going into the bowl game, it only gets better and better for Mizzou each day.
“I think overall the most important thing to remember when entering a game for the Buckeyes, is staying calm and playing together. In a sport like football, it’s crucial that everyone is on the same page and is working together because with so many moving pieces they all have to be one to beat. In this case Mizzou. I also think that we are a team that plays with strategy and that is what we need to maintain to claim the win,” Tober said.
Both Jennings and Tober have their views on each team and expect their team to come out on top on December 29 in Arlington.
“38-33, Ohio State,” Tober said.
“Mizzou wins 27-24,” Jennings said.
