It was never a BCS bowl game and it was passed over as one of the national semifinal sites for the new College Football Playoff, but there is no denying that the Citrus Bowl, which is returning to its old name after a stint as the Capital One Bowl, is one of the most anticipated bowl games of the season each year.
2015 Citrus Bowl, Minnesota vs. Missouri: Date, time, location and more
The Big Ten and SEC will clash once again in Orlando this January. The SEC has won four in a row and five of the last six.
With the Big Ten and SEC meeting up in Orlando, there is almost always a terrific crowd and plenty on the line as teams look to end their seasons with a bang and gain some momentum heading into the offseason. The SEC has owned the bowl in recent years, winning four in a row and five of the last six. Last year, Connor Shaw and the South Carolina Gamecocks picked apart Wisconsin's defense in a 34-24 victory. This year, it will be Minnesota vs. Missouri.
Here is everything you need to know for this year’s game.
Date and time, ET: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, 1 p.m. ET
TV channel: ABC
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Stadium: Florida Citrus Bowl, 70,000
Last year’s score: South Carolina 34, Wisconsin 24
Last year’s attendance: 56,629
Last year’s TV rating: 6.6
Last year’s payout for each school: $4.55 million
Team with the most all-time appearances: Georgia, 6
Team with the most all-time wins: Georgia and Tennessee, 4
Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten)
Any doubts as to the staying power of Jerry Kill in the Big Ten were answered with Minnesota’s rise to second place in the Big Ten West, ahead of traditional power Nebraska and rival Iowa. Kill earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the feat, and make no mistake: keeping a team like Minnesota in division contention until the final week of the season is a feat.
The Gophers used a bruising rushing attack featuring second team All-Big Ten David Cobb and dual-threat QB Mitch Leidner to wear opponents down, and their ability to limit turnovers kept them in most games and helped secure a win at then-No. 23 Nebraska in the season’s penultimate game.
Last bowl game: 2013 Texas Bowl, 21-17 loss vs. Syracuse
All-time bowl record: 5-11
Head coach’s bowl record: Jerry Kill, 0-4
Missouri Tigers (10-3, 7-1 SEC)
Missouri brought home the SEC East crown for the second straight year. This year, they managed to do so while losing to Indiana, being shutout by second-place Georgia and not winning a single game against a ranked opponent. The Tigers were able to feast on some of the lesser teams in the SEC before beating a hot Arkansas to clinch the division title, and were summarily dispatched by Alabama in the conference title game.
The Tigers once again made their mark on defense, with defensive ends Shane Ray and Markus Golden combining to form one of the more fearsome duos in the country. Quarterback Maty Mauk has big-play potential at times, while running backs Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy can be a dangerous combination.
Last bowl game: 2014 Cotton Bowl Classic, 41-31 win vs. Oklahoma State
All-time bowl record: 14-16
Head coach’s bowl record: Gary Pinkel, 6-4
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