After the weekend’s college football bowl game extravaganza, the Monday schedule might seem a little light. There is in fact just one contest on the docket for New Year’s Eve eve, but one is always better than none, right?
As we inch closer to 2025 the lone Monday matinee probably won’t have anything resembling a playoff vibe, but it does feature a potentially interesting matchup of SEC vs. Big Ten, providing another datapoint in the seemingly endless debate among conference advocates. It’s in an SEC city, but we’ll see if that really means more.
Here’s a quick look at the showdown.
Music City Bowl – No. 20 Missouri vs. Iowa
Time/TV/location: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Nashville, Tenn.
Why watch: A pair of flagship institutions from bordering states should make for a compelling viewing experience with both programs wanting to put their best foot forward. Regrettably, a significant number of key contributors will be absent from both squads, including Missouri WR Luther Burden III and Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson who will be in draft preparation. The good news for the Tigers is QB Brady Cook should be available after being banged up for much of the season. He should also have top RB Nate Noel and WR Theo Wease Jr. in his arsenal. Iowa QB Brendan Sullivan looks set to start, but he must count on freshman RB Kamari Moulton to do the heavy lifting on the ground.
Why it could disappoint: If you like defense, well, you’re probably an Iowa fan so this game might appeal to you. But the fact is the Hawkeyes probably need to make this a slog in order to keep it close. That’s just the team’s identity, and such games often feature plenty of fourth-quarter drama. Getting there could be a tough watch, but we’ve already witnessed unusual events in these bowls, so embrace the chaos and enjoy the ride.
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