So, where now?
Missouri football only had a narrow path to the College Football Playoff when it arrived in Columbia, South Carolina. After a 34-30, last-minute loss to the Gamecocks on Saturday, that door is now shut.
Not only is Mizzou (7-3, 3-3 SEC) eliminated from CFP consideration, but the path to the Citrus Bowl — which takes the best remaining SEC team left out of the playoffs — is most likely closed, too.
The SEC currently is poised to send four teams to the playoffs. With two or fewer losses, six teams are still eligible to make the conference title game. Add three-loss South Carolina as a seventh playoff contender, albeit on the periphery of the discussions, and that’s enough teams ahead of MU in the pecking order to put the Citrus Bowl out of reach.
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That likely leaves six remaining potential landing spots for Mizzou for its bowl destination: The Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27, Las Vegas); the Liberty Bowl (Dec. 27, Memphis); the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn.); the Texas Bowl (Dec. 31, Houston); the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa); and the Gator Bowl (Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Fla.).
The Birmingham Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl also can take SEC teams, but with the way the standings currently look, Missouri is more likely to go to one of the six games listed above.
Here is where national media has Missouri pinned for bowl season:
Action Network: Missouri football vs. Syracuse in Gator Bowl
Brett McMurphy of Action Network has Missouri projected to play Syracuse in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Orange are 7-3 with a 4-3 mark in ACC play this season, which is Fran Brown’s first year as their head coach. They have one common opponent with Missouri in Boston College. Mizzou beat the Eagles 27-21 on Faurot Field in Week 3, and Syracuse lost on the road to BC, 37-31, on Nov. 9.
ESPN: Arizona State or Washington in Las Vegas Bowl
ESPN writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both have Mizzou slated for the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 27 in Sin City, but against different former Pac-12 teams.
Bonagura has Missouri facing now-Big 12 outfit Arizona State, while Schlabach has the Tigers going up against the Big Ten’s Washington.
On Saturday, Arizona State upset Kansas State to improve to 8-2 — a record that includes a Week 2 win over Mississippi State, which Missouri plays Saturday in Starkville. ASU is still in the running for a berth to the Big 12 title game.
Washington, one season removed from making the national title game, just became bowl eligible with a 31-19 win over UCLA on Saturday. The Huskies are 6-5 and 4-4 in Big Ten play. They face No. 1-ranked Oregon on Nov. 30 to close the regular season.
CBS Sports: Michigan in Music City Bowl
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has been pretty consistent projecting Mizzou to land in the Music City Bowl against Michigan.
No changes this week.
The game takes place Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. Missouri was meant to play in the Music City Bowl in 2020, but the game was canceled due to the pandemic.
The reigning national champions still are not bowl eligible but have two more opportunities to get there. The Wolverines face Northwestern at home this Saturday and No. 2-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 30.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Bowl projections: Where Missouri football could land in postseason
