Power ranking the SEC after Media Days: Texas A&M football on the rise?
Power ranking the SEC after Media Days: #7 Missouri Tigers
. 7. . Previous ranking: 5. . 531. . . Missouri.
Some will say that Mizzou slid just because I wanted to rank the Tigers back to back. Let me assure you, those people are mere haters and losers, and their claims have absolutely no basis in fact!
There are those out there who are very high on Missouri coming into this year. Brady Cook to Luther Burden will be a deadly combination, they say. No doubt, Burden is a future star at the pro level (color me skeptical on Cook in that regard, though).
But when I look at Missouri's very, uh, modest level of difficulty on their schedule, and I begin to circle the big games for them, I start to get a little bit concerned. This is essentially a three-game slate, provided the Tigers take care of what they need to against their inferiors: at A&M, at Alabama, and home against Oklahoma.
The Tigers could lose all three of those. They need to win two to feel good about their place in the CFP, given the light load they have otherwise. I'd give that about a 40% chance of happening, maybe.
I have a lot of questions about the defense in CoMo. I also think that the loss of Cody Schrader could prove to be absolutely massive going forward. Williams Nwaneri could pan out very quickly on the defensive line... but maybe he doesn't. An early loss at Kyle Field means there are storm clouds on the horizon for this Mizzou season—keep an eye on that week five matchup.