Mizzou Football '14

[lukethedrifter]

Mauk is a tough dude but his pocket presence is so bad and the way he chucks the ball up hoping for a good result falls in the "Hope is not a strategy" category.

I will be stunned if Markus Golden doesn't make it on Sundays.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Mizzou finished 14th in the Final AP poll. If every down year is like this, I'll take it.

[JL21]

That seems fair. I wish they were higher but it's kind of hard to argue with. And as you say, ranked 14th (plus a Citrus Bowl win and an SEC East championship) in what was basically a reloading year... that's good stuff.

[Freed Roger]

Did you guys catch that awkward moment with Ezekiel Elliott post-game last night?

Announcer's final question (paraphrased) - "your parents went to Missouri - why did you choose Ohio State?"

Elliott handled the dumb question (dumb timing) pretty well -said something like "Well man, all I got to say is go Buckeyes"
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I'm sure it burns Mizzou to not have him since he's local and w/ regards to positive spin for future recruiting, but I sense there are other positions that could have made a bigger impact for Mizzou to get to next tier.

[JL21]

I heard something about it.

I don't know how "burned" they feel. Yeah, it sucks to not have him and I'm sure they'd rather have him, but it's hard to argue with the way the RB position has worked out the last few years. The ground game was basically the backbone that enabled the defense to win 7 SEC games for them this year, and it was as good as it's ever been in 2013. I'm not sure how much better it could have been with Mizzou's offense. Nor do I think the story would be the same if he had chosen Mizzou, at least not this early in his college career. At most, he would've had Hansbrough's role the last 2 years, splitting time with Murphy and Josey and making us all salivate for when he was older. And Hansbrough's been a pretty damn solid back in his own right.

It only really annoys me because Ohio St. and schools like them have the luxury of walking into a kid's living room, putting down a scholarship offer, and walking out with the commitment regardless of geography or familial circumstance. Mizzou, and the overwhelming majority of schools, don't have that luxury. I can't fault the kid for it (especially not with how it turned out). I'm just jealous.

[Hoot45]

Back in 2013, when Elliott made an official visit to Mizzou after signing with Ohio State, he said: "It's one last look at Missouri and showing respect to my home school and to my mother and father's alma mater." I respect the respect and understand why he would choose Ohio State. It worked out for him. And really, like others said, it worked out for Missouri too. There were other positions of greater need over the last few years. Didn't feel a lot of regret at the RB position.

[JL21]

Yeah, that too. I'm not sure he was ever that close to choosing Mizzou at all.

[Freed Roger]

Ohio St. and schools like them have the luxury of walking into a kid's living room, putting down a scholarship offer, and walking out with the commitment regardless of geography or familial circumstance. Mizzou, and the overwhelming majority of schools, don't have that luxury.

Yep - it's like only a few schools have the nuclear bomb. Those that don't have it can get close, but are just not quite there in power.

14th, in somewhat an off year is pretty darn good for a conventional program. I think it takes too much to go nuclear (even a bigger name coach, more recruiting dollars, lax standards, payola or whatever they do to get their way with NCAA). I know it's more than a money thing, it's history, established tradition, regular exposure on national tv, and oft-fanciful allure of NFL career .... just the whole ball of wax that makes it year in and out recruiting machine....IMO it's too much.

[Hoot45]

I don't care much about being ranked 14th. Unless you finish in maybe the top five I'm not sure anyone cares about where you place in the polls. I do care about winning the SEC East and a legit bowl game. SEC East champs has a better ring to it than ranked 14th in the nation and I also think it has more lasting value.

Is momentum a thing? I mean, can Missouri leverage the last two years of success into recruiting classes that keep them at the top of the division? I like to think the program is taking sustainable steps forward with the move to the SEC, the new brand, some big bowl game wins, steady stream of NFL'ers, etc.

[JL21]

Yes and no re: the momentum thing. The SEC move helps, but Mizzou's sustainable steps started well before the move to the SEC. That just enhanced it, and it wouldn't have done so if they hadn't already moved forward in the years leading up to the SEC. Hell, they wouldn't have even been considered an SEC option if they hadn't been taking those steps for years before.

And "no", in the sense that any program can lose that momentum overnight with a few bad years. At least that's true of the schools that aren't traditional powers.

That said, the best way for a school like Mizzou (or any other non-traditional power) to become one of the traditional powers is to keep putting together seasons just like the last 10 Mizzou has had. It's the Wisconsin and K-State model, or going further back- the Bowden model at FSU. Win your 8, get to bowl games, and your talent level rises. Then win your 9 or 10 and get to better bowl games, and your talent level rises again. Then rinse, repeat for about 20-30 years.

Or just do it the Oregon and Oklahoma St. way- find a donor with obscene amounts of money.

Whoever takes over after Pinkel is going to be a huge decision. That's the person that'll be tasked with taking them to the next level or, at worse, maintaining where Pinkel has them.