Nebraska Football: Best Bowl Game Options for the Huskers

Before Nebraska lost to Wisconsin in Madison on Saturday, the sky truly felt like the limit. It was, too. The Huskers still had a shot at the Big Ten conference title and the playoffs weren't significantly out of reach. That has all changed since.

What can the Huskers expect now, especially when it comes to a bowl game? And what are the best options for Nebraska?

Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com is now predicting the Huskers will travel to the Holiday Bowl to face UCLA on Dec. 27. If this prediction pans out, it's definitely not the most ideal one for Nebraska. With San Diego so close to UCLA, turnout could be an issue. Nebraska fans travel well, but proximity can still be problematic.

Plus, this would be head coach Bo Pelini's third trip to the Holiday Bowl in his time with Nebraska. He made the trip in 2009 and 2010, with a win during the first visit and a loss during the second.

Another Holiday Bowl just might not give Nebraska fans the incentive needed to travel.

And then there's the fact that the last two times Nebraska faced UCLA, the Bruins won. In both 2012 and 2013, UCLA defeated the Huskers both at home and on the road. Once again, that likely doesn't give fans any excitement for a possible rematch between the two.

Another potential bowl game could be the Outback Bowl. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy both projected Nebraska to Tampa Bay, Fla., but both selected different opponents. Schlabach predicted Missouri, while McMurphy predicted Auburn.

Neither Tiger team would be an excellent matchup for Nebraska. However, facing Missouri may draw fans that are nostalgic for the former Big Eight and Big 12.

An added benefit is that Nebraska isn't that far removed from playing Missouri, which could definitely make things interesting.

Schlabach isn't the only one thinking this matchup could happen. Phil Steele thinks the same. Looking at the potential opponents and destinations, it seems to be the best option for Nebraska.

After all, the history between Nebraska and Missouri would be enough to get fans to travel. The two programs could even put the Victory Bell up for grabs once again, which has been with Nebraska since 2010 when the two last met.

Missouri wouldn't be an easy win for the Huskers. With that said, there's reason to believe Nebraska could get the victory because the Tigers have shown they can be a bit inconsistent at times.

"There’s a lot to really admire about what they’ve been able to accomplish," ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about Missouri. "But they’ve been a very inconsistent team and a difficult team to get a handle on."

To be fair, Nebraska hasn't exactly been the most consistent either. However, Missouri also sharing that issue could make for an interesting matchup if it panned out.

There's still plenty of time before the bowl games are announced and a lot can absolutely change between now and then. If Nebraska had a choice, though, the Outback Bowl versus Missouri would be a pretty good outcome.

If nothing else, it would be nostalgia at its finest.