The Missouri Tigers are hoping somehow, someway the Nebraska Cornhuskers lose to the Colorado Buffaloes next week and they end up with a place in the Big 12 Championship game. That would give 10-2 Mizzou a shot at a BCS bowl game. If that scenario doesn't play out (and it's unlikely), then it's possible Mizzou (or Oklahoma or Texas A&M) could land in the Holiday Bowl as fifth in the Big 12.
So who would they play?
The San Diego Union-Tribune offers up a very interesting scenario. Let's say Oregon makes it to the national championship and Stanford ends up in the Rose Bowl. That would likely place the third ranked Pac-10 team -- Arizona in this case -- in the Alamo Bowl. In the scenario, none of other Pac-10 teams become bowl eligible -- USC isn't eligible, Cal and Oregon State have five wins while UCLA has four wins.
So the Holiday Bowl would have one of those Big 12 teams plus....who? It's supposed to be the third-ranked Pac-10 team which, in this scenario, is Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
"We’d have to see what is the pool of available teams and make the best decision we could for the bowl," Holiday Bowl Executive Director Bruce Binkowski said.
Notre Dame (6-5) is a possibility in that case unless the Fighting Irish beat USC Saturday to finish 7-5 and go to the Champs Sports Bowl instead.
There are a lot question marks with these scenarios. More than likely, the Pac-10 gets someone eligible -- lookin' at you, Cal -- and this doesn't become a problem.