Missouri came out of literally nowhere to go 11-2 and finish in top 10 last season.
The Tigers capped the surprise season with a huge 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Entering 2024, Mizzou is riding high behind rising star Coach Eli Drinkwitz.
And why wouldn’t they be excited?
Star QB Brady Cook is back for more as is superstar WR Luther Burden.
This combo lit up the SEC last fall.
The Tigers also have talent on defense and a manageable schedule.
Will they make the 12 team playoffs this fall?
Last year, the Tigers improved from 86th to Top 30.
Keep an eye on TE Brett Norfleet who broke out late in his freshman season.
This offense is gonna be pretty dang good.
- Can new DC Corey Batoon replace Blake Baker?
LSU poached Baker in the offseason after Mizzou fielded one of the best defenses in the SEC.
They brought in Batoon from South Alabama.
While he did a solid job in Mobile, obviously this is a massive jump to the big leagues.
They also hit the transfer portal to add depth.
- Can Mizzou take advantage of an extremely favorable schedule?
October 5th at Texas A&M is the key game to see how real they are.
It feels like a toss up game but having an experienced QB in Cook gives them a good chance.
I have them dropping a close one then bouncing back with wins at UMASS & vs. Auburn.
They will get smoked at Alabama for their 2nd loss heading into their other bye.
Coming out of the bye, the Tigers host Oklahoma and should be ready.
There is an excellent path to 10-2 here with road losses in College Station & Tuscaloosa.
I am feeling 9-3 as they get tripped up in one of those final 4 games.
I think the defense will regress some ultimately but Mizzou will have a dang good season.
