The Missouri Tigers Over 7.5 wins -130
Line available at the Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook as of August 10, 2015
Is there a team in college football that gets less respect than Gary Pinkel and the Missouri Tigers ??? Probably not. While the Alabamas, Auburns, LSUs, Georgias and most everyone else in the SEC West huff and puff and beat their chests, Missouri takes care of business and wins double-digit games while getting to the SEC championship game. The Tigers couldn’t break through against Auburn and Alabama but convincingly went on to win their Bowl game. Missouri is an excellent program!
Pinkel has just 12 returning to starters to work with but he does have an experienced veteran quarterback who makes big plays and doesn’t turn the ball over plus a stud running back that should go for 1200-1500 yards if he is able to stay healthy. The offense
line loses it’s best player but the others bring a whopping 97 starts of experience to the table. The defense returns three starters and the front seven is talented albeit somewhat inexperienced front seven. Pinkel will have six games to start the year before Mizzou hits
Georgia to get everyone up to snuff.
Missouri’s schedule is tailor made for a possible SEC East three-peat. The Tigers miss Alabama, Auburn and LSU out of the West and the non-conference schedule features three relative cupcakes before a neutral field (Kansas City) matchup with BYU in mid-November. Last year, Missouri was a dog in seven games and went 11-3. This year the Tigers should be favorites in 10 of 12 and could very well win 11 games again.
This how the Missouri season breaks down. SE Missouri State, at Arkansas State and UConn figures to have the Tigers 3-0 starting SEC play. At improved Kentucky, South Carolina and (HC) against Florida and we’ll call for Mizzou to be 6-0 before their October 17th showdown at Georgia. On the road at Vandy has us thinking Missouri 7-1 headed to a bye and needing one win more to cash our ticket. We would need one win in four games, three pretty much at home with Mississippi State, (N) BYU, Tennessee and finishing at Arkansas.
Maty Mauk is a proven field general that seems like he’s been around forever despite just being a junior. Sr. Russell Hansbrough might not be big but he’s a money back that that is impossible to stop at point blank. Remember 21-14 win over Arkansas last year when he scored three times from a yard out against a tough Razorback defensive line. Even with a hiccup, this team wins 10 games. Play the Over.