Missouri Football were atop the SEC East in 2013 and 2014. What happened to the Tigers who are heading into their second season under Barry Odom?
The story of Mizzou football since they joined the SEC in 2012 is one of extreme ups and downs. They kicked off their first season in the SEC East with a mediocre 5-7 (2-6 SEC) record before making a run to remember in 2013 and 2014.
In 2013 with quarterbacks James Franklin and Maty Mauk were both being extremely successful. No one expected the Tigers to do what they did in 2013 when they made a real run at an SEC Championship and not too far from a BCS National Title game appearance.
If you take away a missed 24-yard field goal against the South Carolina Gamecocks and a mediocre defensive performance against the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Title game, then Mizzou could have been the ones facing Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the final BCS National Championship Game.
Mizzou fans are likely to remember that botched 24-yarder by kicker Andrew Baggett in overtime against South Carolina. It derailed the Tigers’ chance at a dream season. Victories in previous weeks over ranked teams at the top of the SEC East like the Aaron Murray-led Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators seemed less significant.
So close, but more heartbreak for Mizzou
Later that season, Mizzou had the chance to redeem themselves against Auburn in the SEC Title Game. However, the Mizzou defense elected not to show up in that game against Nick Marshall. A bad decision. Auburn walked away with a 59-42 victory. If nothing else, Mizzou did get a big victory against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl that sealed a top 10 finish in 2013.
The 2014 campaign had the Tigers surrounded by question marks. Could they repeat what they did in 2014? Would Maty Mauk be as good as he was in 2013 filling in for an injured James Franklin? Tthose questions seemed to be answered rather quickly with a dominant 3-0 start to the season. A loss that still looks like a blunder to this day against the Indiana Hoosiers in the fourth game of the season was questionable.
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Nonetheless, Mizzou proceeded to win the SEC East once again with a 7-1 record in the SEC during the regular season. It was another special season for Mizzou. Even if when suffered a 29-point loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Title Game. They wound up capping off the 2014 season with a Citrus Bowl win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and 11 wins.
The downward spiral begins
Things would end up falling off the rails in 2015. Mizzou went from winning seven games in the SEC to losing seven games. Mauk voluntarily left the team after a video of him involving drug use surfaced on social media. Pinkel left the team as well after he was diagnosed with cancer. It was a tragic season all-around for Mizzou after so much success in 2013 and 2014.
Freshman quarterback Drew Lock ended up taking over in 2015, ushering in a new era on offense for the Tigers. He won the starting job once again in 2016, even though Mizzou’s win total dropped again. Four wins did not signify the progress that the Tigers made in 2016. Lock, along with wide receiver J’Mon Moore and running back Damarea Crockett bring hope to a high-powered Mizzou offense in 2017. The defense just needs to make some strides as well.
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Things have not looked good for head coach Barry Odom since he took over for Pinkel in 2016. Mizzou’s win total has gradually dropped since 2014 and could continue trending in the same direction in 2017 if the defense cannot improve. However, the offense looks to be going in the right direction and the SEC East is up for grabs once again. Even though Mizzou is not what they once were just a few seasons ago, a bowl berth is certainly possible in 2017.