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Mizzou football: Conference play begins this week

By Thomas Huitt-Johnson

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 14: Running back Larry Rountree III #34 of the Missouri Tigers is knocked out of bounds by defensive back Bydarrius Knighten #2 of the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks during the third quarter at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 14: Running back Larry Rountree III #34 of the Missouri Tigers is knocked out of bounds by defensive back Bydarrius Knighten #2 of the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks during the third quarter at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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Mizzou football opens up conference slate Saturday against South Carolina. Are you ready? Hopefully, the Tigers are.

The Mizzou football team has had some ups and downs early this season, but now the real season begins.

Saturday, the Mizzou Tigers face the South Carolina Gamecocks in a 3 p.m. kickoff at home to open up SEC play. The Tigers opened the game as a double-digit favorite.

Mizzou is 2-5 in conference openers since joining the SEC in 2012. But what is more alarming is the Tigers haven’t won a conference opener since 2014.

The Tigers have lost four-straight SEC openers. In 2015, they lost at Kentucky; in 2016, they lost at home to Georgia; in 2017, they lost at home to South Carolina; and in 2018, they lost at Georgia.

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All of those games except for last season were the Tigers favorites to win or it was a toss-up. If Mizzou can take care of business this season, they should start out SEC play on a big winning streak.

Mizzou has been 0-2 or 1-1 in the SEC in every season except for 2013. The Tigers were able to right the ship in 2014 after a 1-1 conference start, and they won the SEC East, just as they did the season before. But it would be nice to see the Mizzou football team jump out to an undefeated record in the conference, and not have to come from behind.

It starts Saturday, and it’s doable.

The Tigers welcome a 1-2 South Carolina team to town, a team Barry Odom has not beaten yet. Mizzou is 0-3 against the Gamecocks the past three years, last winning the Mayor’s Cup in 2015 — Drew Lock’s first start.

Conference play gives the Tigers a chance to forget about what they have done so far this season, including the disappoint ‘L’ Wyoming handed them in the first week of the season.

But this week also gives Odom and Co. a chance to forget about the past, a chance to start their own winning streak and a mark that begins the SEC with a ‘W’ instead of what they are used to.

Odom has been 2-6, 4-4 and 4-4 in the SEC in his three years at the helm. He started out 2016 0-5 and started out the past two years 0-4

Getting off to a 1-0 start will go a long way for Mizzou. It’s a good way to start the year rather than having to work their way up the standings.

Next. Mizzou football: Tigers are fortunate to have QB in an unfortunate East. dark

Because it’s tough to climb back up the division, especially when No. 3 Georgia sits at the top.

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