Missouri Tigers - for real?

[ljcool110]

Mizzou was great in 2007 against everyone but Oklahoma, but is this really a program heading up or did they just have a dream year? the preseason top 25 includes Mizzou as a top 10 team.

[shanksta13]

I say they are legit. The real key is how well their defense performs against the more prolific offenses in the Big 12. Their offense should be able to crank out some points during the 2008 campaign between Chase Daniel and Jeremy Macklin. They shouldn't have any problems beating any of the teams they are favored against by more than a few points. It'll be a few games that determines whether or not this is a good team or a great team in 2008.

[ljcool110]

Mizzou's non-conference slate is Illinois in St. Louis, SE Louisiana, Nevada and Buffalo and they have a game @ Texas in 2008.

[SoonerManiac]

Mizzou beat the hell out of Texas Tech in Lubbock. They have the ability to shut down offenses. It is a matter of them doing it on a week to week basis.

Mizzou will be good for a few more years if Blaine Gabbert is as good as advertised. He's being billed as the next great MU QB after Daniel. Likely he redshirts this year, then starts in 2009.

[ljcool110]

Mizzou beat the hell out of Texas Tech in Lubbock. They have the ability to shut down offenses. It is a matter of them doing it on a week to week basis.

Mizzou will be good for a few more years if Blaine Gabbert is as good as advertised. He's being billed as the next great MU QB after Daniel. Likely he redshirts this year, then starts in 2009.

What is funny about Mizzou is that a couple of years ago Pinkel's job seemed to be on the line. He couldn't get them 'over the hump' many said. Now he has them in the Top 10 for a 2nd straight year, but they also have to play with expectations that were not there a year ago.

[bulldawg]

If Mizzou can beat some big teams again this year and prove they weren't a flash in the pan like Boise State, then I will say that they have arrived.

Until then I call them suspsect.

[ljcool110]

If Mizzou can beat some big teams again this year and prove they weren't a flash in the pan like Boise State, then I will say that they have arrived.

Until then I call them suspsect.


I don't know that Boise State should be referred to as a 'flash in the pan." I believe they went 10-3 last year...

[bulldawg]

I don't know that Boise State should be referred to as a 'flash in the pan." I believe they went 10-3 last year...


As proven by Georgia's routing of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl going 10-3 in the WAC conference is nothing to brag about.

Boise States cinderella season capped off by them beating Oklahoma is exactly what I would call a "flash in the pan". IMO they did nothing close to a good follow up season last year. The same might be said for Mizzou next year.

[SoonerManiac]

As proven by Georgia's routing of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl going 10-3 in the WAC conference is nothing to brag about.

Boise States cinderella season capped off by them beating Oklahoma is exactly what I would call a "flash in the pan". IMO they did nothing close to a good follow up season last year. The same might be said for Mizzou next year.

Hard to replace your entire offensive skill personnel and be AS good. Georgia can't even do that. No one can.



Missouri plays Illinois again. Who proved they were a good, ranked team. They play Texas this year, so that could get interesting. Their schedule is not a cupcake schedule. Although they do benefit from not having Tech/OU on their schedule this year.

lj, Pinkel needed the North to die down a little. His problem was, he had been beaten down by Nebraska/KSU for years. And then when they started dropping off, his recruiting could match theirs and he picked it up.

In fact, he got real lucky that Daniel kept his commitment to MU. That's what set it off. Although, Brad Smith could have done it as well. He just did not have the talent around him that Daniel does.

[ljcool110]

Hard to replace your entire offensive skill personnel and be AS good. Georgia can't even do that. No one can.



Missouri plays Illinois again. Who proved they were a good, ranked team. They play Texas this year, so that could get interesting. Their schedule is not a cupcake schedule. Although they do benefit from not having Tech/OU on their schedule this year.

lj, Pinkel needed the North to die down a little. His problem was, he had been beaten down by Nebraska/KSU for years. And then when they started dropping off, his recruiting could match theirs and he picked it up.

In fact, he got real lucky that Daniel kept his commitment to MU. That's what set it off. Although, Brad Smith could have done it as well. He just did not have the talent around him that Daniel does.

Agreed. Brad Smith had the talent himself, but didn't have enough around him. I like your assessment of the North. I can see how anyone could out-recruit Callahan considering the direction of Nebraska the past several years and his reputation as a total jerk.

[ljcool110]

As proven by Georgia's routing of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl going 10-3 in the WAC conference is nothing to brag about.

Boise States cinderella season capped off by them beating Oklahoma is exactly what I would call a "flash in the pan". IMO they did nothing close to a good follow up season last year. The same might be said for Mizzou next year.

I still disagree with your assessment. Any non-BCS conference school already has the deck stacked against it. A 10-win season is a high goal for any team; look at the top teams in C-USA, the MAC, WAC, MWC, Sun Belt; they're almost always 8-5, 9-4 after bowl games. Anytime a team gets 10 wins in a season as a non-BCS school it's an accomplishment, no matter how you do it.

As for their flash in the pan status, Boise State is likely the best example of a BCS-caliber program not in a BCS conference. Would they win the Pac-10 if they played there every year? No. But they would likely be good enough to go bowling.

You cannot judge everything off of the one game where your team crushed Hawaii. The Warriors looked like crap and got a bad draw in a team that should have likely been in the BCS title game (and would have beaten Ohio State). However, that does not mean that Boise State was a bad team.

[SoonerManiac]

Agreed. Georgia was the best team in the nation by seasons end imo.

[Tennessee Ted]

I think the more appropriate question is are they for real in a Big XII sense. To that answer I would say yes. If the question was are they for real in an SEC way I would answer no.

[SeanVol]

Mizzou gets by OU in Big XII title game this year, IMO.

[ljcool110]

Mizzou gets by OU in Big XII title game this year, IMO.

They should be hungry for the title, that is for sure. To lose 2x to OU last year and they get the shaft on a BCS bowl bid, that team should want it bad. With a strong recruiting class and a solid team already it will be interesting to see where they finish.

[SeanVol]

They should be hungry for the title, that is for sure. To lose 2x to OU last year and they get the shaft on a BCS bowl bid, that team should want it bad. With a strong recruiting class and a solid team already it will be interesting to see where they finish.

They deserve that BCS bid! Va. Tech made Kansas look like a BCS team! Va. Tech should've won that game against Kansas, but they laid a egg.

[SoonerManiac]

I think the more appropriate question is are they for real in a Big XII sense. To that answer I would say yes. If the question was are they for real in an SEC way I would answer no.

Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't be able to hang with any SEC team....oh wait, they did that and more.

[SoonerManiac]

They deserve that BCS bid! Va. Tech made Kansas look like a BCS team! Va. Tech should've won that game against Kansas, but they laid a egg.

No offense Sean, but this kind of pisses me off. I understand the coaching level the SEC has and I'm not trying to diminish it. But the Big XII coaches are greatly underrated imo. Mark Mangino did all that he did with 2 and 3* players. And he did it with a school who's program was extremely bad. I mean, Mangino has been quoted as saying as the KU football program wasn't the stepchild to its Basketball program, it was the stepchild's abused pet.

When you are trying to recruit kids and your roof is leaking quite badly, and you have to pull teeth to get anything done...you know you have it bad.

Pinkel took Mizzou to its finest moment in school history. Mike Leach is doing the same thing at Tech. Because the programs that are becoming good in the Big XII are not traditional powers, does not meant they are not legit. I mean look what Bill Snyder did to KSU. No one would have guessed he could have them being 1 game away from playing for a NC within 10 years. Mangino/Pinkel/Leach are all doing similar things.

I'm not saying the Big XII is up to the coaching level of the SEC. But I do honestly believe we have the potential to be there. And I have little to no doubt the Big XII is 2nd ONLY to the SEC in this subject.

[Tennessee Ted]

Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't be able to hang with any SEC team....oh wait, they did that and more.

Congrats to the Missouri Tigers for beating the 6th best SEC team. You are right. They are for real.

[sheluvsbama]

The jury is still out....:laugh:

[shanksta13]

Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't be able to hang with any SEC team....oh wait, they did that and more.

Wow, they barely beat an Ole Miss team that was 0-8 in the conference and demolished an Arkansas team that finished 4-4 in the conference and had plenty of distractions. I think the point was that Mizzou would likely lose 3-4 games in the SEC without a doubt. I don't think they are a team that can handle the weekly grind of the SEC. Now do I think they are a talented team, absolutely and I'm not going to say they aren't. But I still think they would be just above the middle of the pack in the SEC and I certainly don't think they would have a shot at actually winning their division in the SEC, much less the entire conference.

[shanksta13]

And I have little to no doubt the Big XII is 2nd ONLY to the SEC in this subject.

I definitely agree with you there, no doubt the Big 12 is the next best conference in college football. And I really don't think it's all that close. Watch out for Colorado this year, they could surprise.

[SeanVol]

No offense Sean, but this kind of pisses me off. I understand the coaching level the SEC has and I'm not trying to diminish it. But the Big XII coaches are greatly underrated imo. Mark Mangino did all that he did with 2 and 3* players. And he did it with a school who's program was extremely bad. I mean, Mangino has been quoted as saying as the KU football program wasn't the stepchild to its Basketball program, it was the stepchild's abused pet.

When you are trying to recruit kids and your roof is leaking quite badly, and you have to pull teeth to get anything done...you know you have it bad.

Pinkel took Mizzou to its finest moment in school history. Mike Leach is doing the same thing at Tech. Because the programs that are becoming good in the Big XII are not traditional powers, does not meant they are not legit. I mean look what Bill Snyder did to KSU. No one would have guessed he could have them being 1 game away from playing for a NC within 10 years. Mangino/Pinkel/Leach are all doing similar things.

I'm not saying the Big XII is up to the coaching level of the SEC. But I do honestly believe we have the potential to be there. And I have little to no doubt the Big XII is 2nd ONLY to the SEC in this subject.


I meant no disrespect to Kansas or the BigXII, but Va. Tech IMO didn't come to play in the orange bowl that night. I know the coaching is underrated in BigXII. The BigXII north(other than Nebraska and Colorado) does really have much football tradition as the BigXII South. It's got to be tough for the Iowa State's and Missouri's of the world to go convince a kid from Miami to come play for them. I know the job Bill Snyder did at KSU, because KSU riped UT a new one in the Cotton Bowl in 2000. I remember when KSU was one game away from play us for the National Championship in '98 and they lost to Texas A&M in BigXII title game. I use to post on the ESPN boards and I caught a lot flak from SEC fans, because I thought the BigXII was better than the SEC.

[SoonerManiac]

Wow, they barely beat an Ole Miss team that was 0-8 in the conference and demolished an Arkansas team that finished 4-4 in the conference and had plenty of distractions. I think the point was that Mizzou would likely lose 3-4 games in the SEC without a doubt. I don't think they are a team that can handle the weekly grind of the SEC. Now do I think they are a talented team, absolutely and I'm not going to say they aren't. But I still think they would be just above the middle of the pack in the SEC and I certainly don't think they would have a shot at actually winning their division in the SEC, much less the entire conference.

I'm not disagreeing they wouldn't lose some games in the SEC. Their schedule was pretty favorable last year, except OU. But Missouri is a legit top 15, if not top 10 team. That would put them in the top half of the SEC imo. Winning the SEC? no. Competing? Most definitely.

[SoonerManiac]

I meant no disrespect to Kansas or the BigXII, but Va. Tech IMO didn't come to play in the orange bowl that night. I know the coaching is underrated in BigXII. The BigXII north(other than Nebraska and Colorado) does really have much football tradition as the BigXII South. It's got to be tough for the Iowa State's and Missouri's of the world to go convince a kid from Miami to come play for them. I know the job Bill Snyder did at KSU, because KSU riped UT a new one in the Cotton Bowl in 2000. I remember when KSU was one game away from play us for the National Championship in '98 and they lost to Texas A&M in BigXII title game. I use to post on the ESPN boards and I caught a lot flak from SEC fans, because I thought the BigXII was better than the SEC.

During the '97-'01 years, the Big XII was very good. You had a good argument there. But right now, as much as I despise SEC fans spouting it off every 2 sentences, the SEC is the best conference.

But if you are going to say that about Va. Tech vs KU, I'm going to claim OU didn't come to play against WVU and let them have it. :D

[SeanVol]

But if you are going to say that about Va. Tech vs KU, I'm going to claim OU didn't come to play against WVU and let them have it. :D

That was the biggest let down of the bowl season.

[SoonerManiac]

That was the biggest let down of the bowl season.

We just didn't care to be there. We wanted the BCS NC game. since we didn't make it, we let WV have that game.


Man, this is nice.

[Tennessee Ted]

We just didn't care to be there. We wanted the BCS NC game. since we didn't make it, we let WV have that game.


Man, this is nice.

I agree with your prognosis about how good the Big XII was a couple of years ago because it was surely true. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas St. were powers to be reckoned with. It is still a pretty strong conference, but not the power it was 10 years ago.

I think the let down excuse is pretty lame. When you play in a bowl game you represent your conference. If you do not show up because you are whining over the loss of the BCS championship appearance then that is weak and makes you look bad and the conference. Look at Georgia. They got screwed worse than Oklahoma and they demolished Hawaii because of it. If you are upset in football, don't whine, go out and hit someone.