Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1

Minnesota vs. Missouri

– Missouri might have been blasted by Alabama in the SEC championship, but that was truly a Happy To Be There moment for the two-time defending SEC East champion. The pass rush didn’t show it against the Tide, but it’s still among the best in the country on a defense that allowed just 344 yards per game. The offense is sputtering with a mediocre passing game and not enough points until they’re absolutely necessary, but it’s still the SEC East champ coming off a ten-win season. Considering the early season loss to Indiana, and the blowout to Georgia, this is important.

– Minnesota was supposed to be better, but no one thought it was supposed to be in the mix for the Big Ten championship up until the final game of the regular season. The Gophers gagged away a loss to Illinois, but the other three defeats came to Ohio State, TCU and Wisconsin – all acceptable. The passing game is non-existent, but David Cobb and the power running game controlled the clock for most of the season, helping out a defense that turned out to be fantastic against the pass. With three losses in the final four games, a win really would be a big deal going into the offseason – this is a program that would feed off of the momentum.

First Reaction: Alabama was able to power on Missouri when it had to, and Georgia ran wild in Columbia. The Mizzou pass rush won’t matter much against a Minnesota ground game that’s going to pound and pound some more with a rejuvenated David Cobb. What will the motivation factor be for the Tigers? They’ll show up, but Minnesota will control the time of possession in a big way.

First Prediction: Minnesota 34 … Missouri 20