Missouri moves up to No. 9 in AP Poll jumping former National Champions Michigan

The Missouri Tigers continue their fight to remain competitive against longtime SEC juggernauts, and the college football world will be watching all season. The AP Poll ranked them at No. 9 going into Week 2, while the Coaches Poll placed them one spot lower, at No. 10.

The last time the Tigers were ranked in the top 10 after Week 1 was back in 2008, when future first-round NFL draft pick Luther Burden III was just five years old, and quarterback Brady Cook was only seven. Fan-favorite head coach Eli Drinkwitz was an assistant coach at a high school in Arkansas at the time. Safe to say, times have certainly changed.

Mizzou has been ranked in the AP Top 25 since Week 5 of last season, a feat that few teams can claim. This consistency not only highlights the program's ongoing success but also shows great promise for its future.

Since taking over as head coach, Drinkwitz has compiled a respectable 30-23 record. He’s consistently built impressive squads on both sides of the ball, while establishing strong recruiting classes, and maintaining a substantial NIL fund.

“I think we're battle-ready,” said Drinkwitz in a recent press conference. “We've tackled live more than we ever have in any camp, got more practice reps in this camp than we had in the previous three seasons, and put in more situational football time than ever before. Now it’s about 11 guys putting it together against an opponent who also has a say in the outcome.”

"Battle-ready" is the perfect way to describe this group of guys. Confidence in this team has never been higher, and neither has their AP Poll ranking. As they prepare for Week 2 against a Buffalo team coming off a 30-13 win over Lafayette, they continue to focus on improving each week.