2008 Previews: Missouri

By Tim Cottrell
Sports Writer/Designer
Published: July 30, 2008

Missouri is up next at No. 53. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

Missouri had a dream season in 2007.

Chase Daniel had a superb season and finished fourth in the Heisman race, the Tigers were unstoppable on offense and actually spent a week ranked No. 1 in the country.

Unfortunately for them, they just couldn’t beat Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped them twice.

This year things are looking good again.

Daniel, who I love, is back, along with most of his top targets. They must replace two-time 1,000-yard rusher Tony Temple and two starters and two key reserves on the offensive line, but there’s no reason this team shouldn’t hover around the offensive numbers they put up last year (39.9 points per game).

Defensively, nine starters are back. They seem to be set on the front seven, but three returning starters in the secondary are going to have to do better than the 256.9 yards per game passing they allowed last season.

There are really only three potential pitfalls on the schedule, and only one game Missouri might not be favored in. It could be another big year in Columbia.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 30: vs. Illinois (at St. Louis)
This might be the best game of opening day.

Sept. 6: SE Missouri
Yawn.

Sept. 13: Nevada
This game could wind up something like 70-45.

Sept. 20: Buffalo
This could be something like 70-(-)45.

Oct. 4: at Nebraska
It’s hard to believe Missouri will be favored in Lincoln, but that’s where we are. The Huskers are a year or two away.

Oct. 11: Oklahoma State
The Fightin’ Gundys don’t have enough to win this one on the road.

Oct. 18: at Texas
If Missouri is going to lose a game in the regular season this is it. The Longhorns are probably more talented, but the Tigers have more experience. And if nothing else it should be a fun quarterback duel between Daniel and Colt McCoy.

Oct. 25: Colorado
The Tigers humiliated the Buffs in Boulder last year and while it won’t be quite so ugly this time around they should win handily.

Nov. 1: at Baylor
Turn off the scoreboard.

Nov. 8: Kansas State
This should be a relatively easy win, but there’s no telling what you’ll see from KSU on any given day.

Nov. 15: at Iowa State
Another long year in Ames.

Nov. 29: vs. Kansas (at Kansas City, Mo.)
I still haven’t quite gotten over these two playing a game with both in the top five and facing national title implications. Missouri will probably still find itself in the Top 5. Kansas won’t be quite so lucky in 2009.

If the Tigers find a way to get past Texas (which is a good possibility) they really shouldn’t lose a game in the regular season. But Mizzou would still have to get past Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, which I don’t think they can do.