Bowl Projections: Alamo And Insight Bowl, Big 12 And Mizzou's Attendance Problem

Now that the Texas A&M Aggies has been invited to the 2011 Cotton Bowl, it's time to look into our bowl projections and see where the Missouri Tigers will land. It's always difficult to project some of these bowl games for Mizzou because they have a perceived attendance problem which makes them a less valuable candidate in the eyes of various Bowl committees. Whatever, but that's the case.

So where will the Tigers go now? We're looking at the Alamo Bowl, Insight Bowl and Holiday Bowl.

Alamo Bowl: Does Mizzou fit here? Again, it comes down to the attendance question. They went there in 2008 and didn't do very well with the attendance. An Alamo Bowl rep called it "One of toughest, most challenging years in memory." So that seems unlikely Mizzou would get a shot. They will probably try to snag the loser of the Big 12 Championship game. Nebraska has had a Mizzou-like attendance problem at the Alamo Bowl in the past -- and Oklahoma State hasn't -- so you pick where they'd go with that.

Insight Bowl: Again, it'll come down to attendance and Oklahoma State has killed it here before so, if they've available, I could see them getting the nod over Mizzou. Nebraska, likewise, would likely get the nod over Mizzou if they were available.

This would leave....the Holiday Bowl. It's looking like Mizzou will be considered the fifth best team in the Big 12, which would be disappointing to Missouri fans. There was some outside chance that the Holiday Bowl could pick Notre Dame and Mizzou but with ND beating USC last week that's not going to happen now. Playing Notre Dame would have drawn a little more media attention, which Mizzou likely wouldn't have minded if put in that situation.

I'm an amateur bowl predictor but I'm having trouble finding a way Mizzou goes anywhere but the Holiday Bowl at this point. I'd gladly be wrong if it meant a Bowl upgrade, though.