1. Can Lock continue streak against Texas?
In what would be his final college game if he enters the NFL draft, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock can enhance his stock with a strong outing against a talented, though depleted, Texas defense. The Longhorns faced a Murderer’s Row of quarterbacks earlier this year — USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph — and limited the latter two passers to two of their least productive games of the season. Whether he returns to Mizzou or turns pro, Lock can add to his record-breaking season and continue to close ground on Chase Daniel for some of MU’s vaunted passing records. Lock has thrown at least three touchdown passes in eight consecutive games heading into Wednesday’s bowl game.
2. Will Texas find a hot hand at QB?
Texas plans to start sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele after he split snaps with freshman Sam Ehlinger throughout the season. That doesn’t mean Buechele will get all the work Wednesday. “We’ll figure out who is playing better and who is in a rhythm and who is seeing the defense better and playing the game better and you know, ride that guy for as long as we can,” UT coach Tom Herman said. The Tigers prepared for both quarterbacks during bowl practices, often using a wide receiver to simulate Ehlinger on the scout team. The freshman played only eight games but led UT with 364 rushing yards.
3. How will Finley handle play-calling duties?
After offensive coordinator Josh Heupel split for the top job at Central Florida, Barry Odom handed Mizzou’s play-calling duties to tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley. Odom hasn’t decided on Heupel’s full-time replacement, and Wednesday’s game could serve as an audition for Finley — not just at Missouri but for other jobs that could come calling. “I’ve enjoyed (running the offense), and obviously it’s going to help me in the future,” Finley said. But will he be up for the job against live competition in a bowl game? Odom and Finley have said they won’t stray from the system that led the SEC in total offense each of the last two regular seasons — but in the last three weeks Finley had time to add some wrinkles.
4. Strong finale for Frazier?
Missouri senior defensive end Marcell Frazier revealed Tuesday that he played the season with a torn quadriceps muscle and wasn’t fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery until a few games into the fall. He came out of a slow start to lead the SEC in tackles for loss and comes into Wednesday’s game hoping to impress NFL scouts. “I wanted to play through (the injury) because I felt like I was the leader of the team and I wanted to be out there with the guys,” Frazier said. “When I look back on it it’s like night and day when I got healthy.” Frazier ends his run at Mizzou with what looks like a favorable matchup: The Longhorns will block him with left tackle Elijah Rodriguez, making his first start after nursing an ankle injury all year.
5. Will Crockett boost the running game?
Mizzou managed a productive running game during its six-game winning streak despite missing former 1,000-yard tailback Damarea Crockett, who needed shoulder surgery in October. Ish Witter and Larry Rountree III gave the Tigers a potent double threat out of the backfield in the second half of the season, but Crockett returned to action for bowl practices and could get significant work against Texas. When healthy, Crockett has been one of the SEC’s best backs and could parlay a strong finish to 2017 into a better offseason toward 2018.