Saturday Blitz
Fansided

SEC Football: Spring 2019 storylines for every SEC team

By John Mitchell

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 01: Confetti falls after the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 35-28 in the 2018 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 01: Confetti falls after the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 35-28 in the 2018 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 15
Next
(Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /

Missouri: Integrating Kelly Bryant and finding motivation in a lost season

Academic violations from 2015 and 2016 led to a bowl ban for Missouri football for the 2019-20 bowl cycle, so it would be easy to look on the 2019 season as a lost year for the Tigers as they are ineligible for all postseason games, including the SEC Championship if they were to win the East.

That leaves little motivation for the players in 2019, who could hope for nothing better than an undefeated regular season and a high finish in the AP Poll – not that this team is near talented enough to push for that, anyway. It’s unfortunate, though, as Barry Odom’s crew has some scheduling breaks next season that could have ultimately led to challenging for the East crown.

Along with the typical game against Arkansas from the West, the Tigers draw a home matchup with Ole Miss as their crossover game. They host Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina, and travel to Georgia. While winning the East would have been difficult, a 10-win year and a berth in the New Year’s Six wouldn’t have been out of the question with the requisite motivation, particularly with a high-profile transfer quarterback replacing the proficient Drew Lock.

Missouri somewhat surprisingly won the Kelly Bryant sweepstakes, and the former Clemson standout elected to remain in Columbia even after the postseason ban was handed down, which was another big win for Odom and company.

No one will mistake Bryant for Lock as a passer, but he brings an added dynamic to the Missouri offense with his ability as a dual-threat. In his one season as the Clemson starter in 2017, he passed for 2800 yards and added 665 yards on the ground with 24 total touchdowns as he helped lead Clemson to an ACC Championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.

With Bryant adding a dimension, Missouri could have a devastating rushing offense next season with a pair of talented rushers flanking him. Even with Damarea Crockett leaving for the NFL, Missouri returns 1,200 yard rusher Larry Rountree and talented sophomore Tyler Badie to the fold.

Add that with a defense that returns a lot of talent following a Top-25 S&P+ finish in 2018, and Missouri would be a popular darkhorse candidate in the SEC East if they were eligible. If Odom can keep the Tigers motivated, they could relish the role of spoiler throughout the season.

Home/SEC