Missouri football accepts bittersweet bid to Alamo Bowl

COLUMBIA — The words that came out of his mouth were positive, but Missouri coach Gary Pinkel was void of emotion when he discussed his team’s bid to the  Alamo Bowl on Sunday at the Clinton Club at Mizzou Arena.

“The Alamo Bowl is very prestigious, and we’re very excited to be a part of it,” Pinkel said.

Scratch that. Pinkel had emotion, but the monotone delivery and glum face meant it was something different than “very excited.”

Before last year, Pinkel and his players would have been plenty pleased to get to the Alamo Bowl. It’s a well-watched game between the Big 12 and Big 10 conferences and is more desirable than Missouri’s bowl bids in 2005 and 2006. But the 2008 Cotton Bowl champions came into this season with higher hopes than four losses and a bowl before January. For the Tigers, a matchup with No. 22 Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl is simply a disappointment.