The Texas Longhorns will be traveling down Highway 290 to the aptly-named Texas Bowl in Houston.
The Longhorns will play the Missouri Tigers in the game at NRG Stadium on Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.
NBC 5 sports director Newy Scruggs and Jean Jacques Taylor give their prediction on who will emerge from the college football playoffs and be crowned national champion.
Missouri (7-5, Southeastern Conference) vs. Texas (6-6, Big 12), Dec. 27, 8 p.m.
LOCATION: Houston
TOP PLAYERS
- Missouri: QB Drew Lock, 3,695 yards passing, national-best 43 passing touchdowns.
- Texas: LB Malik Jefferson, team-high 110 tackles, including six games with double-digit tackles this season.
NOTABLE
- Missouri: After starting the season 1-5, the Tigers closed by winning their final six games -- averaging 51.3 points per game in those wins. Missouri's margin of victory was 30 points during its winning streak, and the school is trying to become the second in history (Rutgers, 2008) to win eight games after starting the season 1-5.
- Texas: The Longhorns are led by first-year coach Tom Herman, who will make his return to Houston after leaving the Cougars after last season for Austin. Texas clinched a bowl berth with a 28-14 win at West Virginia on Nov. 18 before closing the regular season with a home loss to Texas Tech.
LAST TIME
- Missouri 17, Texas 5 (Nov. 12, 2011)
BOWL HISTORY
- Missouri: The Tigers are playing in their first bowl since the 2015 Citrus Bowl, and it's their second appearance in the Texas Bowl following a 35-13 loss to Navy in 2009.
- Texas: The Longhorns are making their first bowl appearance since 2014, when they lost 31-7 to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl.
The road to college football's next champion is becoming a little clearer as the field is set for the College Football Playoff.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
