The preseason AP Poll Top-25 Rankings were released on Monday, featuring 10 teams from the Southeastern Conference. Auburn and Missouri also received votes for the Top-25 Rankings, giving the SEC 12 different teams that received votes for the poll. Missouri was a bit of a questionable snub, as it will enjoy one of the easier […]
The preseason AP Poll Top-25 Rankings were released on Monday, featuring 10 teams from the Southeastern Conference. Auburn and Missouri also received votes for the Top-25 Rankings, giving the SEC 12 different teams that received votes for the poll.
Missouri was a bit of a questionable snub, as it will enjoy one of the easier schedules in the Southeastern Conference this season. The Tigers are currently slated to face four Top-25 preseason ranked teams in conference play, but avoided No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Georgia, No. 9 LSU, No. 15 Florida, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 24 Tennessee. Under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, the program has enjoyed back-to-back 10-win campaigns for the first time since 2013-2014.
SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaumrevealed that he is also high on Missouri this season following their exclusion from the Top-25 Rankings. The Tigers have finished inside the final AP Poll in back-to-back seasons once again for the first time since 2013-2014.
“We were talking around the newsroom yesterday about which team outside of the top-25 should be in there, and it was Missouri based on their schedule,” Finebaum said. “If they get by Kansas (and I’m pretty sure they will) even thought that’s going to be a really good game, they’ve got a pretty good path as long as they turn some of those 50-50 games and I think they’re capable once they get the quarterback situation in good shape.”
Missouri plays eight of 12 games at home/neutral sites
“You (directed at SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic) know this because I’ve been there a lot more than I have, but (Eli) Drinkwitz has done a very good job. He’s just lost a game late in the year that has taken the shine off, but their record is fantastic.”
Missouri opens its season with favorable home games against Central Arkansas and Louisiana with a rivalry matchup against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium sandwiched in between. If it can get to 3-0, it then hosts South Carolina at home in a rematch from last year’s memorable 34-30 loss and will host Massachusetts the week after.
There’s a very real possibly that Eli Drinkwitz‘s team could be 5-0 heading into a marquee home matchup against preseason No. 8 ranked Alabama. Eight of Missouri‘s 12 regular season games this season are either home/neutral, with three of its four road games coming against unranked SEC teams.
As Finebaum said, the Tigers have a pretty good path as long as they turn some of their 50-50 games (vs No. 13 South Carolina, at Auburn, vs. No. 19 Texas A&M) to get back to yet another 10-win season this year.
Category: General Sports
