After rattling off five straight wins and jumping to No. 22 in the AP top 25, Mizzou football seemed to be gaining momentum heading into the second half of the season. However, their loss against Vanderbilt left a familiar taste in the mouths of Tiger fans.
Just when everything seemed to clicking and the momentum was building, just when Mizzou football was about to hit November with the chance of being a top-20 team in the country, they did it again.
Missouri was ready to be a top tier team in the SEC at the beginning of the year. That was all derailed with a loss to Wyoming that made Mizzou a laughing stock among college football fans.
In the weeks following that loss, the Tigers reminded everyone who they really were. They dominated all of their opponents on both sides of the ball. They were atop the SEC in total offense and they boasted a top 10 defense in the country. Everything was picking back up.
Then Mizzou traveled to Nashville to take on 1-5 Vanderbilt.
After a pathetic performance, every Mizzou fan was saying the same thing; Here we go again.
The Commodores were bottom dwellers in the SEC but out-played the Tigers in almost every way. Missouri couldn’t move the ball on offense and the defense looked lost trying to defend Mo Hasan and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
Listen, Mizzou fans have every right to be upset about this loss. Missouri played entitled and lost to a worse team. However, this doesn’t mean the season is over.
In 2013, Missouri started the season on fire and flew up the rankings. After dismantling Florida and Georgia, Mizzou was first in the East and found themselves as a top 5 team in the country. In the following week, they lost to No. 20 South Carolina at home.
If the Tigers gave up there, then the Gamecocks could’ve run away with the East. Did that happen? No. Mizzou beat two more top 25 teams and clinched the division and made the conference championship game. They did lose that game but they won the Cotton Bowl and finished fifth in the final AP poll. That is Missouri’s best season as a member of the SEC.
In 2014 Mizzou was in a similar place after losing to Georgia at home. Then they won the SEC East again.
Here’s a friendly reminder; If Missouri wins out, they win the East.
Before anyone says Mizzou football can’t beat Georgia and Florida back-to-back, go check out the 2013 Tigers mentioned before.
Vanderbilt gave Missouri a reality check. They reminded the Tigers that they aren’t perfect. Now Kentucky serves as an opportunity to clean everything up in time for Georgia and Florida. Also, following the Kentucky game, every regular season game is in November. The Tigers are rather fond of November.
So don’t give up on the Tigers. The season isn’t over and Mizzou is still a really good football team.