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Bowl Breakdown: Insight
No. 14 Missouri (10-2) vs. Iowa (7-5)Dec. 28, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Reason to watch: Missouri is the first top 15 BCS-conference team to play its bowl game, but more curiosity surrounds Iowa. Is Kirk Ferentz's program on the verge of a freefall, or just having a bad month? Iowa started the season ranked ninth but lost its last three games, including an embarrassing upset at 2-9 Minnesota. Since then, star receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested for keeping a drug house, top running back Adam Robinson was suspended for the bowl game and school officials announced they had found flaws in their drug-testing procedures. Presumably, Iowa will still field a team.
Keep an eye on: Missouri's offensive line against Iowa's defensive front. While preseason All-American Adrian Clayborn has been a disappointment, the Hawkeyes' veteran defensive line remains highly regarded and can get pressure on Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert. But Missouri's offense is more balanced this year (410 rushing attempts, 433 pass attempts) than in recent seasons, which has helped stave off sacks (just 20 allowed).
Did you know: The Insight Bowl increased its payout from $1.4 million per team last year to $3.3 million the next four years in order to move up in both the Big 12 (No. 4) and Big Ten (No. 5) selection order and promptly landed the first 10-win team in its 22-year history (dating to its days as the Copper Bowl). Last year's game pitted two 6-6 teams, Iowa State and Minnesota.
Final analysis: While it failed to live up to preseason expectations, Iowa is more evenly matched with Missouri than its 7-5 record indicates. It narrowly lost to 11-1 teams Wisconsin (31-30) and Ohio State (20-17). Underrated senior quarterback/patriot Ricky Stanzi (25 TDs, four INTs) will go out with a bang.
The pick: Iowa 30, Missouri 28
SI.com NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline shares his thoughts on the top pro prospects in this matchup:
Missouri: DE/OLB Aldon Smith* -- Smith is a rare breed of defensive prospect who has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. He's an awesome pass-rusher who has enough athleticism and speed to catch ball-handlers from behind in pursuit. Smith was slowed by a leg injury all season but still ranks as an early first-round pick and is expected to enter the draft. Grade: First-round prospect.
Iowa: DE Adrian Clayborn -- Clayborn entered the season as one of the highest-rated seniors in the nation, but fell short of expectations. He's an explosive pass-rusher and was very productive in the past but struggled making plays behind the line of scrimmage in 2010. Scouts still consider Clayborn a legitimate starting defensive end at the next level. Grade: First-round prospect.
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated Stewart Mandel first caught the college football bug as a sophomore at Northwestern University in 1995. "The thrill of that '95 Rose Bowl season energized the entire campus, and I quickly became aware of how the national media covered that story," he says. "I knew right then that I wanted to be one of those people, covering those types of stories." Mandel joined SI.com (formerly CNNSI.com) in 1999. A senior writer for the website, his coverage areas include the national college football beat and college basketball. He also contributes features to Sports Illustrated. "College football is my favorite sport to cover," says Mandel. "The stakes are so high week in and week out, and the level of emotion it elicits from both the fans and the participants is unrivaled." Mandel's most popular features on SI.com include his College Football Mailbag and College Football Overtime. He has covered 14 BCS national championship games and eight Final Fours. Mandel's first book, Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy That Reign Over College Football, was published in 2007. In 2008 he took first place (enterprise category) and second place (game story) in the Football Writers Association of America's annual writing contest. He also placed first in the 2005 contest (columns). Mandel says covering George Mason's run to the Final Four was the most enjoyable story of his SI tenure. "It was thrilling to be courtside for the historic Elite Eight upset of UConn," Mandel says. "Being inside the locker room and around the team during that time allowed me to get to know the coaches and players behind that captivating story." Before SI.com Mandel worked at ESPN the Magazine, ABC Sports Online and The Cincinnati Enquirer. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1998 with a B.S. in journalism. A Cincinnati native, Mandel and his wife, Emily, live in Santa Clara, Calif.