The Missouri Tigers’ 2016 season was the stuff made from nightmares: Lopsided losses, sub-par playmaking, injuries, and a forgettable finish to an otherwise dismal season.
The official start to the 2017 season is about six months away. I fought with not starting the football predictions this early in the year, but then I’ve never been great at predicting outcomes, so I deemed a “warm-up period” necessary.
This will be a four-part segment of predictions, broken-down into three games per segment. Today we will look at Missouri State, South Carolina, and Purdue.
Missouri Tigers Football
Missouri State Bears
The Bears of Missouri State completed their 2016 season with an overall 4-7 record–not much better than Mizzou (4-8). Missouri State faced some stiff competition, but they also seem to mail-in a lot of games, as well, being shut-out twice, and losing other games by a large margin.
Both State and Mizzou will enter the season on an even field. Both teams are playing for bragging rights, but also with a chip on their shoulder to prove that last year will not carry into 2017.
I predict this will be a close game, especially being the first game of the season, and the return of “D-Line ‘Zou.”
I am taking the Tigers in this one, in a close game for the better part of three quarters, until Mizzou pulls away, 34-21.
South Carolina Gamecocks
I can’t even look at their mascot without chuckling, and the name is just as ridiculous. I digress. South Carolina will be a bit stronger this year than last, and Missouri is still young in may areas, and we’re still not quite sure in which direction quarterback Drew Lock is trending. I’m confident that he will trend toward being a solid pocket-pas
ser, but it’s too early in the season, and against a formidable defense.
My laughter will subside somewhere in the third quarter, when South Carolina pulls away from the Tigers, and finishes seven points ahead of Mizzou. This will be Missouri’s first loss of the season. Final score, USC 24, Missouri 17.
Purdue Boilermakers
As an alum of a B1G school, there is no love lost between myself and Purdue. Without a doubt, I want Missouri to school the Boilermakers in this Week 3 matchup.
Purdue, which finished the 2016 season a game worse than the Tigers, will likely put up a decent fight until midway through the second quarter. Then, Purdue being Purdue, will self-implode, and the Tigers will lead at the half.
The second half will prove eventful, and Tigers faithful will feel more confident going into the Week 4 matchup against that other tiger team, Auburn.
Next: Second Quarter Predictions for Mizzou Football
Mizzou will shred the Boilermakers, 49-27, entering the second quarter of the season in the black, with an overall 2-1 record. More great news for the Tigers: Their first four games of the season are at home.