Written: Jeremy Housewright
That seems to be the question that everyone is asking, not just in St. Louis or Columbia, but on a national level.
The Good Doctor is here to tell you, this isn’t just another Tiger’s Tale, 5th year coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team is not only for real, they are among the best in the nation.
If you look at the SEC, the Tigers aren’t as good as Georgia, but how many other teams are? Do the Tigers have the talent of a Texas, LSU, or even Ohio State? Maybe not, but they aren’t on the schedule, so who cares!
Here are the facts, Mizzou returns a ton on offense. Starting with quarterback Brady Cook, who may not be nationally known, but I have a feeling, he may be soon. The Tigers gunslinger runs the ball well and connects on 66% of his passes. If he has another year like last season, the NFL will come calling.
One of his targets is a possible #1 pick in the NFL Draft, Luther Burden III. It’s hard to argue that Burden isn’t the top WR in the nation. The East St. Louis product is heads and tails above just about any WR in the nation. Don’t forget that the Tigers also have Theo Wease, who is quite dangerous at WR. Thrown in Mookie Cooper at the third WR and Brett Norfleet at TE and Mizzou’s passing game is as dangerous as it’s ever been.
Oh, I can’t forget about the running backs. Transfers Marcus Carroll and Nate Noel give the Tigers a legit 1-2 punch that rivals nearly any SEC team.
The key to all this will be the offensive line, which is stacked pretty solid. Three starters will be returning up front. Cayden Green, an Oklahoma transfer, should hold down the guard position, while SMU transfer Marcus Bryant will fill the tackle position.
Defensively, the Tigers may not have the talent that the offense has, but the defense should be good enough. Seven players from the transfer portal should strengthen the defense. Johnny Walker will return at the edge rusher position and is the star of that unit. Zion Young, a Michigan State transfer will take over DE, while Chris McClellan, a transfer from Florida will hold down the DT position. The Tigers have a veteran LB core and the secondary is actually in good shape with veteran Joseph Charleston at safety and Clemson transfer Toriano Pride holding down the LCB.
The biggest thing the Tigers need to work on is penalties and turnovers. Mizzou had a shot against Georgia last season, losing 30-21. In the loss, Mizzou turned the ball over twice. They also committed eight penalties. Again, with the loss to LSU, two turnovers and 11 penalties didn’t help Mizzou’s cause.
The Good Doctor’s season prediction: I think Mizzou has a good shot to finish 10-2 and earn a playoff berth. The first four games should be wins for sure. October 5 at Texas A&M is huge for the Tigers. If Mizzou wants to be taken seriously, they must win this game. Things don’t get much easier after that as the Tigers go to UMass the next week, then come home to host Auburn, before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a matchup with the Crimson Tide. If the Tigers could manage a 3-1 stint during those four games, there will be a lot of believers. I could even get behind them if they go 2-2 in that stretch and take the Sooners out at home.
One thing is for sure, the Tigers are making some noise. Football is back on the map at Mizzou and as the weather gets cooler, things will be heating up at Faurot Field. Thank you Coach Drink for bringing the excitement back onto the gridiron at Mizzou.
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