Missouri’s bye week provided a lot of positive results from this previous Saturday. With big-time upset losses by Texas and Penn State, Mizzou has moved up five spots to No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25
poll. As of right now, the Tigers are one of 15 undefeated teams remaining in the country and are rising in the latest CFP projections.
The enigma: Missouri. We’ll learn more about the undefeated Tigers on Saturday when they host Alabama, but as of right now, their best wins are against Kansas and South Carolina. They’ve got the No. 3 running game in the country (292 yards per game), and lead the country in third-down conversion percentage (61.6%). Defensively, they’re fundamentally sound, leading the country with only 20 missed tackles. Can they maintain this success against a ranked opponent? The Tigers have the seventh-most-difficult remaining schedule, according to ESPN Analytics. They’re about to enter their season-defining stretch, and they had a bye week to prepare for the Tide. After that, it’s back-to-back road trips to Auburn and Vandy. This month will determine how seriously to take Mizzou.
Let’s get to some other bowl projections entering Week 7:
ESPN: Schlabach; ReliaQuest Bowl vs Penn State. Bonagura; Citrus Bowl vs Illinois
CBS: Texas Bowl vs BYU
Sports Illustrated: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Virginia
Saturday Down South: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Penn State
USA Today: Music City Bowl vs Nebraska
Athlon Sports: Gator Bowl vs Clemson
College Football News: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Louisville
Palm Brackets: Gator Bowl vs SMU
Total count: ReliaQuest (2), Mayo (2), Gator (2), Citrus (1), Texas (1), Music City (1)
It’s pretty simple. A win over Alabama would turn the College Football Playoff possibility into the expectation. Statement Saturday looms for Mizzou.
