Missouri Football ranked No. 11 in the first AP Poll of 2024

On Monday morning, the Associated Press (AP) released the initial top 25 rankings for the 2024 College Football season. The poll featured No. 1 Georgia at the top, with defending National Champions Michigan at No. 10. Missouri had a strong showing in these rankings, starting the season just outside the top ten at No. 11 in the nation.

Missouri is coming off an impressive 11-win season, capped by a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State. They finished last season ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll but have dropped three spots in the offseason. I wouldn't put too much stock in the lower ranking—everything is speculation until the ball kicks off at the end of August.

Missouri is one of nine SEC teams to crack the top 25 rankings, coming in as the fifth-highest among them. The Tigers will have plenty of opportunities to climb higher as the season progresses, with matchups against three other ranked teams: Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M.

The last time Missouri entered a season ranked this high was in 2008, when they opened at No. 6 in the preseason poll. This marks the first time under Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz that Missouri has appeared in the rankings heading into a season. Last season was a turning point for the program, and the Tigers are poised to build on that momentum.

Missouri kicks off the season on Thursday, August 29th, hosting Murray State where they'll open as 47.5-point favorites. This season will be exciting for fans to follow, as the Tigers will blend an ensemble of new and old talent in their quest for sustained success.