SEC Preview: Profoundly above-mediocre Missouri?
There was a lot to like about Eli Drinkwitz’ first season in Columbia.
His first win – over National Champions LSU – was epic. The win over Kentucky to follow it up was surprising. The win over Arkansas – everyone’s SEC darling at the time – was nuts.
But the lows – getting stomped by a very bad Tennessee team and getting blown out by Mississippi State at the end of the year – were pretty awful, too.
We loved the play of Cannonball Larry Roundtree, and Nick Bolton, the Big Swinging Dick of a not-wonderful defense.
Now in 2021, both Roundtree and Bolton have both got professional jobs at the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, and both made the first round of cuts, unlike J’Mon Moore, the much-dropping wide receiver who’s decision to leave early in the 2019 Draft was as much baffling as an exercise in hubris.
OFFENSE
As we said, everything went through Larry Roundtree last year, who had 1,072 total yards and 15 TDs, including 972 on the floor.
Now, it’s going to be up to Tyler Badie and Elijah Young to pick up the mantle. It certainly won’t be Conor Bazelak, unless Drinkwitz opens things right up.
Bazelak’s production – as expected for a freshman with less time to practice because of COVID – was inconsistent – throwing 7 TDs but also 6 INTs for 2,366 yards. There were moments – like his game-winning drive against LSU which was a thing of beauty, and that’s definitely something that will be built on.
At wide receiver, Bazelak’s best WR Keke Chism’s back (458 yards, 1 TD last year), but Jalen Knox (305) had taken his talents to Ole Miss. A lot of nice things have been said about Ohio State transfer Mookie Cooper, who was rated as a 4-star out of high school. Badie (333 yards, 1 TD) can also catch a ball, too.
The offensive line brings back four starters, which will help slower the amount of sacks per game from 1.60.
DEFENSE
Nick Bolton was effing awesome. He ranked 3rd in solo tackles in the SEC in 2020 and first in the same category in 2019. He led the charge into the opposing players like a jouster on PCP, and it was fun to watch. Speaking of solo tackles – just imagine what could have happened if he wasn’t injured midway through the Arkansas game, meaning he missed the Georgia and Mississippi State clashes.
Replacing him is going to be massive. Will Davin Nicholson and Blaze Alldredge – the latter who was one of the best LBs in college football last year – be gamechangers? In a world which sees more needs for LBs rather than big-boy DEs and DTs because of the game’s speed, they had better be.
Speaking of DT, Kobie Whiteside could be a beast if he comes back in better shape after missing five games of last season through injury. Passrusher and 2021 Bedanarik Award preseason finalist (whatever that means, apart from being a mouthful!) Trajan Jeffcoat led the team in sacks with six (4th in the SEC), and also hurried quarterbacks six times and foreced a fumble.
Secondary-wise, the Tigers are going to need a lot of help on a roster that was ultimately frustrating because they were very good at defending balls and doing the big-boy demonstration that was only behind the old Miami ones of the 80s, but they were terrible at actually catching the damned thing (4 INTs all season, with 37 passes broken up (5th-best in the SEC) and 41 passes defended (8th)). Someone needs to teach when you catch the pigskin, you can do a Dancing On Ice routine.
Next year will be a mix. Two good safeties went off to the pros – Tyree Gillespie is still in a job at the Raiders and Joshuah Bledsoe with the Pats, and there will be some hopes that coverted QB Shawn Robinson can help out. Three three-star JUCO recruit Jadarrius Perkins and three-star frosh Daylan Carnell could see some time at CB if Ennis Rakestraw and Co aren’t doing their jobs properly.
However, Missouri went to Tulsa and took two of their highly-regarded players Allie Green IV – a Thorpe Award finalist for 2021 – and Green’s battery-mate Akayleb Evans. We will see how they do against SEC passing offenses.
SCHEDULE
Central Michigan
at Kentucky
SE Missouri State
at Boston College
Tennessee
North Texas
Texas A&M
at Vanderbilt
at Georgia
South Carolina
Florida
Arkansas (in Little Rock)
Missouri will be slightly haphazard this year. They could easily go 2-2 in the first 4 games, which includes trips to Kentucky and Boston College, but we’ll be nice and say they’ll go 5-1 through the first, with the loss happening at Kentucky, when they can’t push against a NFL offensive line, and stop the run game.
Then there’s the predictable loss at home to Texas A&M, and completing the season wins against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, and losses against Georgia, Florida and the battle for the Big Ukulele against Arkansas.
FINAL PREDICTION: Having toyed around with the Arkansas game, we’re going to a downer and say 7-5, but don’t be surprised at 8-4 or a huge 9-3 season, which will lead to Drinkwitz getting his own blow-up doll.