Missouri football voted to finish last in 2017 preseason SEC poll

Disregard for Missouri football continued to flow on Friday, as a preseason SEC poll predicted the Tigers to finish no better than sixth in the eastern division.

Missouri’s last two seasons were forgettable. Honestly, we’re hoping those seasons were more of an anomaly than the norm for Mizzou. Unfortunately, with only two SEC division titles bookended by three losing seasons, fans and media alike haven’t been kind to the Tigers.

As a fan, and writer, of the Tigers, I am pleased with Missouri’s quick success in its new conference. While I believed the Tigers would do better off the bat than Texas A&M would, I also understood there would be growing pains, and I’ve embraced those, as well.

While Missouri wasn’t as successful from the start as the Aggies were, Mizzou strung together back-to-back division titles in its second and third year. Unfortunately, Missouri is oh-for-two in SEC Championship appearances, having lost to Auburn and Alabama.

Missouri Tigers Football

Many point out the obvious: Missouri had nearly instant success, because the Tigers didn’t play the division with the likes of Alabama, LSU or Auburn – as if Missouri chose its division.

I believe the Tigers may have had greater recruiting success if they shared the same division, but the struggle for success would have been greater, also.

For an institution that seems to have been more of an afterthought (Texas A&M was invited first, and the SEC needed a second institution to even out the conference), the division placement was more favorable – sorry, Aggies.

At end of SEC Media Days, members of the media voted where each team will finish the season in a preseason poll. To nobody’s surprise, Alabama was voted to win the west, while Georgia won the votes for the east. Missouri was projected to finish last in the east.

While the results don’t impress me (Vanderbilt finishes better than the Tigers, and the “Champions of Life” – Tennessee – near the top), this poll adds a little more fuel to the Tigers’ fire (bulletin board).

Also not surprising, Alabama is expected to win the SEC title, which it has done in convincing fashion for the last three years. To my amusement, there were two stray votes – one for Georgia and one for Vanderbilt to win the SEC.

While I believe Georgia could be a dark horse to win the conference, there is no way this side of the moon, Vanderbilt will dethrone Alabama, ifˆ by some miracle, it manages to sniff the SEC Championship game.

While I would love to see Missouri return to the SEC Championship this year, which I believe could happen – again, Mizzou has to play much better and has the personnel returning, I don’t think it would unseat the Tide, just yet.

Finally, two Tigers were predicted to make the All-SEC team: wide receiver J’Mon Moore (second team All-SEC) and defensive end Marcell Frazier (third team All-SEC).

Moore, who exceeded 1,000 yards receiving should produce similar numbers this year – with less dropped passes, hopefully. Frazier is expected to step into a starting role where former defensive end Chris Harris played. Frazier showed promising production through limited play in 2016.

Next: Why Missouri won't finish last in SEC East

I was slightly surprised that running back Damarea Crockett and quarterback Drew Lock weren’t projected to make the All-SEC team, but should they both have a productive season, that could change.