COLUMBIA – After learning of their postseason reward Sunday evening, Missouri football players and coaches kept their comments close to the party line. They talked about looking forward to the game being broadcast on a major TV network and to playing in an important recruiting area against a worthy opponent.
The Tigers will play Navy on Dec. 31 in the Texas Bowl. The game is in Houston and will be televised on ESPN.
But that's not what many Missouri fans are talking about right now. Instead, many are frustrated that several bowl games perceived Missouri as a less valuable participant than they had expected.
In the Big 12 Conference, once the league champion is taken, the other bowls are free to select any eligible team. Three different bowls with earlier selections passed over a Missouri team with eight wins to instead select a team with fewer than eight wins. The lesser-known Texas Bowl, with the last choice among Big 12 teams, took Missouri.
For example, the Insight Bowl, located outside Phoenix, picked Iowa State (6-6) over Missouri despite the Tigers' better record and head-to-head victory. Officials from that game told the Missourian last month they were considering several Big 12 teams and later noted the large Iowa State crowd present at their game in 2000.
What is your reaction to the news Missouri will be headed to the Texas Bowl? Do the Tigers deserve better? Are you planning to attend the game in Houston?