1. I get the "Oh my God, just think where we would be if we hadn't blown the Kentucky and South Carolina games" attitude. Really, I do. But it's also worthless. You can't change the past. Plus, if Missouri loses to Kentucky, do they come out with the same fire they had at Florida? Or are they happy with themselves and they look more like they looked at Vandy? We don't know. So it's all well and good to say if they won those two they're 10-2 and in the mix for the NY6 bowls. But you're ignoring that they were one play from losing to Purdue and Vanderbilt and you're ignoring that if you change game five, you might change game nine. I do understand lamenting what could have been (and trust me, the people in the program feel the same way), but this is still a good season. It's not a great one, but it's definitely a good one.
2. Right now, Missouri is somewhere between the fourth and the sixth best team in the SEC. Alabama, Georgia and LSU are better. I'd put Missouri in the mix with Mississippi State and Texas A&M on that next tier. Florida probably belongs in that discussion too, but I think the other three are playing better RIGHT NOW. Clearly Missouri is playing better than the Gators are right now based on what happened three weeks ago.
3. Barry Odom challenged the fans Saturday night
He's right, you know. This team deserves people to show up. I know it's the day after Thanksgiving. I know it's probably going to be a little chilly and the game's on TV and it's easy to watch it instead. But the coach is buying tickets and you can get lower level seats on Seatgeek for as little as $43 and Mizzou is running some specials. This team has done what it needed to do to earn some support. It's won seven games and hammered Tennessee and Florida and been right there with every team it has played except Alabama and it's done its part. Now it's the fans turn to do theirs. At this point, I think anything under 50,000 would really be disappointing.
Part of the reason for that is this senior class. These guys have been through some stuff, now. Not a single one of them had anything to do with 2015 or with Gary Pinkel retiring or Mack Rhoades skipping town or hiring Barry Odom or anything else. They took some lumps on the field, largely because they were asked to be major contributors before they were ready. But they've come through it. Here's a list of every senior and just a quick hit about each guy (we'll write more about this later in the week):
Drew Lock: Was he everything everyone hoped he would be? Maybe not quite, at least in terms of wins and losses. But he's playing really well right now. He's the second leading passer in the history of the SEC and you don't get there without being pretty damn good. He's a great representative for this program and will continue to be. And with some of the hell he took in his first two and a half years, he deserves a big sendoff Saturday
Terry Beckner: He fought through injuries and he became a huge leader on this team. Before this season, I talked to a couple coaches and they told me he was probably the best locker room guy they had. He's the guy Mizzou should hold up to every single person in St. Louis who says Mizzou hasn't done right by St. Louis players.
Cam Hilton: He's taken a lot of hell here. But all he's ever done is do whatever the coaches asked him to do. Every week somebody screamed for him to be benched, but he kept on starting. It's not an accident. It's not like coaches are playing guys who are worse than other guys.
Rashad Brandon: Juco guy who hasn't been here as long as the others, but has made some plays when he's been out there. He's dealt with a lot this year off the field.
Terez Hall: If Lock isn't the toughest senior to replace, Hall is. Really good player and a really fun kid to talk to as well. He'll be missed at media day and on game day.
Corey Fatony: Whoever Missouri's next punter is, he will not have the swagger (or the biceps) Fatony has.
Nate Anderson: Really good kid who has started quite a few games and made some plays. He'll miss the first half, but will get to play in the second.
Emanuel Hall: He wasn't even a starter until midway through last year and he turned into the most important player in the history of the program (I mean, look at the difference when he's on the field and when he isn't). Good dude, deserves to have a big day.
Walter Palmore: Missouri's gonna miss him. Played the best game of his career last weekend.
Brandon Lee: Multi-year starter who is everything you want a college athlete to be. He's working on a Master's Degree, he's never been in trouble and he's a hard worker. Not an all-star, but a solid player.
Tavon Ross: Great program guy. Special teams dynamo. His coaches and teammates just rave about the dude.
Nate Brown: Kind of like Brandon Lee. He's battled injury, gone about his business and done everything he's been asked. Not a star, but a kid you like having in your program.
Kendall Blanton: See above. Never was the guy, but never complained and has done everything he's asked. He'll get a shot in a camp next year too, I think.
Samson Bailey: Ditto what I said about Blanton and Brown. His big catch down the middle was one of the fun moments of the year.
Kevin Pendleton: Really good guy to talk to and a solid starter over the last couple of seasons. A lot of guys would probably have missed a lot more time than he has this year dealing with bumps and bruises.
Paul Adams: Great rep for the program. He hasn't had his best year, but he's still a very good player and a guy that came from out of state and now bleeds black and gold.
Dominic Nelson/Finis Stribling/Roderick Winters: Guys that stuck it out despite never really getting a chance to have that hard work rewarded on the field. Nelson and Stribling have contributed on special teams this season.
4. Let's talk bowl games. I still think the Music City is most likely because that's where Mizzou will send the most fans. More people win by putting Mizzou in Nashville and sending Mississippi State and Auburn to Florida, in my opinion. But the Taxslayer and the Outback are in the picture as well. All other things being equal, I'd love to see Penn State in the Outback Bowl, but I'm not sure the Nittany Lions will end up there. Michigan State and Wisconsin would be okay. The Music City would be NC State or Miami or Boston College probably. None of those games really gets my blood boiling, but at least it's a matchup we don't see much. I don't have a lot of desire to do an Oklahoma State or Iowa remix. I've seen those games. So my hope (from the perspective of the game) is Tampa. My prediction is Nashville.
5. How do you like me now?
2. Right now, Missouri is somewhere between the fourth and the sixth best team in the SEC. Alabama, Georgia and LSU are better. I'd put Missouri in the mix with Mississippi State and Texas A&M on that next tier. Florida probably belongs in that discussion too, but I think the other three are playing better RIGHT NOW. Clearly Missouri is playing better than the Gators are right now based on what happened three weeks ago.
3. Barry Odom challenged the fans Saturday night
He's right, you know. This team deserves people to show up. I know it's the day after Thanksgiving. I know it's probably going to be a little chilly and the game's on TV and it's easy to watch it instead. But the coach is buying tickets and you can get lower level seats on Seatgeek for as little as $43 and Mizzou is running some specials. This team has done what it needed to do to earn some support. It's won seven games and hammered Tennessee and Florida and been right there with every team it has played except Alabama and it's done its part. Now it's the fans turn to do theirs. At this point, I think anything under 50,000 would really be disappointing.
Part of the reason for that is this senior class. These guys have been through some stuff, now. Not a single one of them had anything to do with 2015 or with Gary Pinkel retiring or Mack Rhoades skipping town or hiring Barry Odom or anything else. They took some lumps on the field, largely because they were asked to be major contributors before they were ready. But they've come through it. Here's a list of every senior and just a quick hit about each guy (we'll write more about this later in the week):
Drew Lock: Was he everything everyone hoped he would be? Maybe not quite, at least in terms of wins and losses. But he's playing really well right now. He's the second leading passer in the history of the SEC and you don't get there without being pretty damn good. He's a great representative for this program and will continue to be. And with some of the hell he took in his first two and a half years, he deserves a big sendoff Saturday
Terry Beckner: He fought through injuries and he became a huge leader on this team. Before this season, I talked to a couple coaches and they told me he was probably the best locker room guy they had. He's the guy Mizzou should hold up to every single person in St. Louis who says Mizzou hasn't done right by St. Louis players.
Cam Hilton: He's taken a lot of hell here. But all he's ever done is do whatever the coaches asked him to do. Every week somebody screamed for him to be benched, but he kept on starting. It's not an accident. It's not like coaches are playing guys who are worse than other guys.
Rashad Brandon: Juco guy who hasn't been here as long as the others, but has made some plays when he's been out there. He's dealt with a lot this year off the field.
Terez Hall: If Lock isn't the toughest senior to replace, Hall is. Really good player and a really fun kid to talk to as well. He'll be missed at media day and on game day.
Corey Fatony: Whoever Missouri's next punter is, he will not have the swagger (or the biceps) Fatony has.
Nate Anderson: Really good kid who has started quite a few games and made some plays. He'll miss the first half, but will get to play in the second.
Emanuel Hall: He wasn't even a starter until midway through last year and he turned into the most important player in the history of the program (I mean, look at the difference when he's on the field and when he isn't). Good dude, deserves to have a big day.
Walter Palmore: Missouri's gonna miss him. Played the best game of his career last weekend.
Brandon Lee: Multi-year starter who is everything you want a college athlete to be. He's working on a Master's Degree, he's never been in trouble and he's a hard worker. Not an all-star, but a solid player.
Tavon Ross: Great program guy. Special teams dynamo. His coaches and teammates just rave about the dude.
Nate Brown: Kind of like Brandon Lee. He's battled injury, gone about his business and done everything he's been asked. Not a star, but a kid you like having in your program.
Kendall Blanton: See above. Never was the guy, but never complained and has done everything he's asked. He'll get a shot in a camp next year too, I think.
Samson Bailey: Ditto what I said about Blanton and Brown. His big catch down the middle was one of the fun moments of the year.
Kevin Pendleton: Really good guy to talk to and a solid starter over the last couple of seasons. A lot of guys would probably have missed a lot more time than he has this year dealing with bumps and bruises.
Paul Adams: Great rep for the program. He hasn't had his best year, but he's still a very good player and a guy that came from out of state and now bleeds black and gold.
Dominic Nelson/Finis Stribling/Roderick Winters: Guys that stuck it out despite never really getting a chance to have that hard work rewarded on the field. Nelson and Stribling have contributed on special teams this season.
4. Let's talk bowl games. I still think the Music City is most likely because that's where Mizzou will send the most fans. More people win by putting Mizzou in Nashville and sending Mississippi State and Auburn to Florida, in my opinion. But the Taxslayer and the Outback are in the picture as well. All other things being equal, I'd love to see Penn State in the Outback Bowl, but I'm not sure the Nittany Lions will end up there. Michigan State and Wisconsin would be okay. The Music City would be NC State or Miami or Boston College probably. None of those games really gets my blood boiling, but at least it's a matchup we don't see much. I don't have a lot of desire to do an Oklahoma State or Iowa remix. I've seen those games. So my hope (from the perspective of the game) is Tampa. My prediction is Nashville.
5. How do you like me now?
