College Football Playoff? Heisman candidate? Bold predictions for the Missouri Tigers
Mizzou football is facing the largest expectations the program has had in years.
The Tigers went into the 2023 campaign projected near the bottom of the SEC, while their over/under was set at 6.5 wins. Instead, coach Eli Drinkwitz led his squad to a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State and the best season MU has had since 2014.
Now that the standard is set, the Tigers are looking to push even further, and the mission starts next Thursday in Columbia as the Tigers host Murray State.
As Mizzou works to exceed already high expectations, here are some bold predictions that might come up along the way....
Mizzou will secure a spot in the College Football Playoff
Starting off with the tamest of the predictions, I’m fully expecting to see the Tigers in the College Football Playoff this season, just as they would have been last year had it been under the expanded playoff model.
Mizzou’s preseason AP Top 25 placement already has it in that position at the No. 11 spot, but the Tigers’ schedule coming off the Cotton Bowl win helps them considerably.
MU’s over/under is set at 9.5, drawing among the easiest schedules out of the SEC. Mizzou’s toughest non-conference opponent will likely be Buffalo, who finished fourth in the MAC last season, but between the remaining trio of Murray State (2-9 last season), Boston College (7-6) and UMass (3-9), the Tigers’ non-con shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
In SEC play, the Tigers managed to avoid some SEC top-25 representatives in Georgia (1), Texas (4), Ole Miss (6), LSU (13) and Tennessee (15). If the Tigers can reach 10 wins out of the SEC — with only three ranked opponents on the schedule — they’ll be in line for a playoff spot.
Beyond that, it’s worth noting every single game on this schedule is winnable, even the ranked opponents in Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The OU game, notably, will be played in Columbia.
The Tigers will walk into College Station in Week Six for their first top-25 matchup with Texas A&M, who could potentially be undefeated at that point; A&M’s only roadblock should be Notre Dame.
Then, the Tigers head to Amherst for UMass before finishing out their SEC schedule, which brings me to my next prediction…
The Tigers will beat Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium
The preseason No. 4 Crimson Tide face new circumstances this year, under the direction of former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer did take the Huskies to their second ever CFB Playoff appearance and first national title game, but it’s really no secret that DeBoer has massive shoes to fill in the absence of Nick Saban.
At the end of the day, it’s still Alabama football. But the Tigers are building a brand, too.
Mizzou should be coming into this game with excellent momentum, potentially 6-1 or 7-0. The Tigers’ passing attack will be their strongest attribute this season, between quarterback Brady Cook and his weapons of Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr.. Meanwhile, Alabama lost nine secondary players to the transfer portal while three more were drafted.
If you want to beat Alabama on the road, you’ll have to give it your best with your best — and I think the Tigers can do that with Cook and company.
Brady Cook has Heisman potential
Listen ... they’re called bold predictions for a reason.
Burden is already a potential preseason Heisman pick if you’re looking at wide receivers, especially after a 2023 campaign in which he recorded 1,212 yards across 86 receptions and nine touchdowns. He’s a preseason first-team All-American, and FanDuel has him as the favorite for the Biletnikoff Award.
But Burden might just have to settle for the Biletnikoff, giving the Heisman’s very heavy quarterback history. Just four wide receivers have been awarded college football’s most prestigious award, compared to 38 quarterback winners in its 89-year history. Of those 38 quarterbacks, 24 have been seniors.
Cook is obviously both of those things.
I am by no means saying I expect Cook to win it; however, he has the right pieces to put him into the conversation between his weapons, the team’s likely success and an expectation for Mizzou to focus heavily on attacking through the air in the absence of last year’s star running back Cody Schrader.
If the Tigers win — and score — at the level they could this year, it’s hard to leave an SEC senior quarterback in the CFB Playoff out of the Heisman conversation.
Luther Burden III will break Danario Alexander’s receiving records
Burden already climbed up a couple of Mizzou lists after last season’s performance (third all-time in single-season yards, sixth all-time in single-season receptions), with both of the all-time records in those categories held by Danario Alexander (1,781 yards, 113 receptions).
I expect Burden to receive more targets this season, and I’m expecting him to build off the momentum of such a special 2023 campaign. At the very least, I think Burden can catch up to the receptions record.
Marcus Carroll will make an immediate impact
Mizzou’s passing game will be the strong suit of Drinkwitz’s squad this year, but questions were asked as to who would fill the role of Schrader after last season. The answer may come in running back Marcus Carroll, the senior transfer from Georgia State.
Carroll recorded 1,350 yards on the ground across 274 carries last season, both ranking No. 2 in the Sun Belt. Fans and analysts alike will be expecting the Cook/Burden pair to cause damage, and it will, but Carroll should be the guy on the ground that teams keep an eye on.
This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
