I'm amazed at this turnaround. I thought the steps Barry Odom was taking heading into the UGa game were signs of a coach who was spinning out of control and about to lose it.
But he deserves major credit for righting the ship, keeping his team from quitting, and finding a way to move forward.
Yes, Missouri is in the soft part of its schedule. Yes, a major opportunity was missed (play like this from the start, and Missouri is almost definitely the winner against South Carolina, Kentucky, and Purdue, which puts them in position to potentially win 10 games... the type of season that would have allowed them to make a major impact in recruiting THIS year.
But still... closing the season with 7 straight wins, which looks possible now, would be an awesome step forward for Odom and his staff and give them the opportunity to build this program back up.
It probably won't resonate heavily in the current recruiting class, but they can take this momentum into the 2018 season and 2019 recruiting class.
Half of the official depth chart is players from recruiting classes Odom was involved with, and there are 6-8 additional players getting major minutes who qualify, too. He hasn't signed flashy classes, but he and his staff have shown an ability to find guys who are underrated, which is a key skill for a Missouri coaching staff.
IF Drew Lock returns, this team could have a really special season in Year 3. They'll almost certainly lose Terry Beckner, Jr, which is a huge blow to the defensive front, but the offense would return:
Lock
Rountree/Crockett
Jon Johnson, hall, Richard Floyd
Albert O/Blanton
9/10 of OL two-deep
That's incredibly exciting.
What has been generated is hope. You can now look at what's happening in Columbia and find reason to believe it's going to get turned around and going to work long-term.
The most exciting thing to me is how well the OL and DL have developed. There will be major questions in the middle of the DL without AJ Logan and Terry Beckner, but the young trio of Whiteside, Turner and Williams looks like it could really be something special moving forward (probably could include Utsey in that).
The OL is stocked with a cast of generally unhyped guys, but it is performing at a high level.
Keep Drew Lock, and 2018 could be as transformative a season for Odom as the 2006 year was for Pinkel.
But he deserves major credit for righting the ship, keeping his team from quitting, and finding a way to move forward.
Yes, Missouri is in the soft part of its schedule. Yes, a major opportunity was missed (play like this from the start, and Missouri is almost definitely the winner against South Carolina, Kentucky, and Purdue, which puts them in position to potentially win 10 games... the type of season that would have allowed them to make a major impact in recruiting THIS year.
But still... closing the season with 7 straight wins, which looks possible now, would be an awesome step forward for Odom and his staff and give them the opportunity to build this program back up.
It probably won't resonate heavily in the current recruiting class, but they can take this momentum into the 2018 season and 2019 recruiting class.
Half of the official depth chart is players from recruiting classes Odom was involved with, and there are 6-8 additional players getting major minutes who qualify, too. He hasn't signed flashy classes, but he and his staff have shown an ability to find guys who are underrated, which is a key skill for a Missouri coaching staff.
IF Drew Lock returns, this team could have a really special season in Year 3. They'll almost certainly lose Terry Beckner, Jr, which is a huge blow to the defensive front, but the offense would return:
Lock
Rountree/Crockett
Jon Johnson, hall, Richard Floyd
Albert O/Blanton
9/10 of OL two-deep
That's incredibly exciting.
What has been generated is hope. You can now look at what's happening in Columbia and find reason to believe it's going to get turned around and going to work long-term.
The most exciting thing to me is how well the OL and DL have developed. There will be major questions in the middle of the DL without AJ Logan and Terry Beckner, but the young trio of Whiteside, Turner and Williams looks like it could really be something special moving forward (probably could include Utsey in that).
The OL is stocked with a cast of generally unhyped guys, but it is performing at a high level.
Keep Drew Lock, and 2018 could be as transformative a season for Odom as the 2006 year was for Pinkel.
