Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Westgate SuperBook Line: Missouri -4.5
Minnesota (8-4) is one of the most predictable teams in the country this season, losing to elite competition like Ohio State and TCU and taking care of business against mediocre programs. Sound familiar, Missouri (10-3)?
Both of these fan bases, to varying degrees, have had to defend and promote their teams this season due to a perceived lack of respect.
But on the field, the teams couldn’t be much more different. This game won’t get top billing on New Year’s Day, but both of these programs have earned the right to participate in one of the premier bowl games.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
- This is the final chance to watch Shane Ray and Markus Golden paired as Missouri’s starting defensive ends. On a school that’s produced some outstanding defensive lines with coach Gary Pinkel, this may be the best ever.
- Missouri is darn near unbeatable when it gets strong contributions from Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy in the backfield, so it will be interesting to see if their speed can get traction against the brute strength of the Golden Gophers.
- On a broader level, it’s an interesting matchup from a philosophy standpoint. Can the Tigers, a speed/finesse team on paper, once again get the best of a smash-mouth, slower, physical Minnesota?
- The Tigers once again will lose its top three receivers. With extra time to prepare in bowl practices, and Jimmie Hunt out, will one of the younger pass-catchers finally flash and get the fans excited for next season?
- It’s tough to figure the Tigers run defense. Sometimes it gets destroyed — see Tre Mason in last year’s SEC championship game — and sometimes it’s solid. But the Golden Gophers have a QB-RB combo that could give the team trouble.
MISSOURI
Motivation: The Tigers have earned a modicum of respect in the SEC and elsewhere by winning back-to-back East Division titles. But Alabama administered a beat-down in the SEC championship game, and there’s an implicit understanding that Mizzou’s accomplishments came while Florida and Tennessee are going through down periods. A win here doesn’t change much, but a loss could somewhat diminish what’s been a commendable two-year run.
If You’ve Never Seen Them: What could be the nation’s best pass-rushing defensive line and an athletic, developing bunch of young linebackers powers this particular edition of the Missouri Tigers. Ray is a likely first-round NFL pick at defensive end. An up-and-down, roller coaster offense features Maty Mauk, a quarterback who is more comfortable throwing on the run, a feisty pair of running backs and an overlooked receiver in Bud Sasser.
Weakness: Missouri outperformed all external expectations after the most massive personnel losses in the SEC, but depth has been an issue all season. Mauk has been inconsistent, the offensive line has been just OK and the team’s pass rush sometimes covers up a pretty average pass coverage. The team has good, not great, talent and develops it well, but physical freaks like Ray are few and far between.
MINNESOTA
Motivation: The Golden Gophers haven’t won a bowl game since 2004. A win would give Minnesota its first nine-win season since 2003 and also buy the Big Ten a heap of respect, as it would’ve beaten the SEC East champion twice in two tries this season.
If You’ve Never Seen Them: If you watched the Missouri-Arkansas game, that was a good preview. The Golden Gophers are the Big Ten. The 5-foot-11, 229-pound David Cobb isn’t the fastest running back, but he’ll hit you in the mouth over and over, wearing you down four and five yards at a time. Just three teams have scored 30 or more points on a hard-nosed defense: TCU, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Weakness: The Golden Gophers don’t have the team speed to match the Tigers. The team also isn’t built to come from behind or win a shootout, as quarterback Mitch Leidner has as many rushing touchdowns as he does passing touchdowns (10).
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
