Mizzou football improved by one win from last year, but against a far tougher schedule

Until Tuesday, Barry Odom had never coached a team that made the College Football Playoff rankings. That changed when the Tigers (8-4) landed at No. 24 this week.

Four other eight-win teams made the rankings, all of which ranked ahead of Missouri. But according to multiple metrics, only one of those teams played a tougher set of games in 2018.

According to Brian Fremeau’s strength of schedule rankings, the Tigers played their hardest schedule since 2012. Here are some reflections on Missouri’s difficult slate of games:

What the rankings say

With three games against top-10 teams, Missouri’s schedule ranks as one of the most difficult in the country. According to three different ranking systems that use algorithms to determine schedule strength, here’s how the Tigers stack up nationally:

• SB Nation’s Bill Connelly: No. 6
• Brian Fremeau: No. 5
• Jeff Sagarin: No. 12

Of eight-win teams, only Texas A&M ranked higher nationally in strength of schedule.

• No. 19 Texas A&M: No. 4 (Connelly), No. 3 (Fremeau), No. 5 (Sagarin)
• No. 18 Mississippi State: No. 11 (Connelly), No. 11 (Fremeau), No. 32 (Sagarin)
• No. 21 Northwestern: No. 24 (Connelly), No. 13 (Fremeau), No. 26 (Sagarin)
• No. 16 West Virginia: No. 51 (Connelly), No. 63 (Fremeau), No. 27 (Sagarin)

Bowl-eligible opponents

Missouri played nine bowl-eligible teams in 2018, five of which had eight wins or more. Within the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers tied for the most games played against bowl-eligible teams. Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M also played nine bowl-eligible opponents.

Missouri went 5-4 against teams eligible for bowl games. Three of those wins came against non-conference opponents: Memphis, Purdue and Wyoming.

More teams qualified for bowl eligibility than there are bowl slots this season, and Wyoming might not be selected for postseason play. The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Jerry Palm of CBS both left the Cowboys out of their latest bowl projections.

Opponents heading to championship games

Three of Missouri’s opponents will play in conference championship games this weekend: Alabama, Georgia and Memphis.

The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will face off in the SEC championship Saturday, and Memphis will play UCF in the American Athletic Conference championship.

Top 25 opponents

Missouri played four opponents listed in the College Football Playoff rankings: No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 9 Florida and No. 15 Kentucky.

The Tigers went 1-3 in those games with a win over Florida. Missouri fell on a last-second touchdown against Kentucky.

Compared to past years

Missouri’s 2017 team finished the regular season with just one fewer win than the 2018 Tigers, but last year’s team played a far easier schedule.

In Connelly’s rankings ahead of last year’s bowl games, Missouri ranked No. 84 in strength of schedule. Fremeau ranked the Tigers’ schedule No. 43 after the Texas Bowl.

According to Fremeau, here’s how the Tigers ranked nationally in strength of schedule since they joined the SEC:

• No. 1 — 2012
• No. 21 — 2013
• No. 15 — 2014
• No. 68 — 2015
• No. 59 — 2016
• No. 43 — 2017
• No. 5 — 2018