Mizzou stays put at No. 23 in College Football Playoff rankings

On Tuesday night, the third edition of the College Football Playoff rankings was released, and for the third consecutive week, the Missouri Tigers were ranked in the top 25.

After jumping two spots last week, Mizzou suffered a heartbreaking loss at South Carolina on Saturday, but the committee did not penalize the Tigers.

Mizzou held steady at No. 23, the same ranking as last week, while its opponent, South Carolina, jumped three spots to No. 18. This reflects the playoff committee's positive view of the Missouri Tigers.

Plagued by injuries and numerous miscues, the Tigers have now officially fallen short of their preseason goal of making the College Football Playoff.

This season won't be a complete failure, however, if Mizzou can finish with a 9-3 record, which would require wins in its final two contests against Mississippi State and Arkansas.

The good news for the Tigers is their health heading into the final games of the season. For the first time in over a month, all the skill-position players, except for Mookie Cooper, are healthy.

Mizzou is guaranteed a bowl game, and if they finish the season with 9 wins, they'll likely play in one of the top non-playoff bowls. While this may mean some future NFL talent will sit out, it could still mark a successful season for coach Eli Drinkwitz' team.