Dive into the Heart of Mizzou Athletics

Missouri got back to their winning ways in a 45-3 win over UMass, but the Tigers still have work to do to get back in the CFP mix.

The Missouri Tigers come in at No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, moving up two spots after their 45-3 win over UMass.

No, a win over UMass doesn’t singlehandedly put Missouri back in the playoff picture, but at 5-1 — the Tigers are withing striking distance and their win over Vanderbilt continues to look better. Mizzou will still need to bank as many wins as they can in the second half of the season — and it all starts with a Homecoming game against a reeling Auburn team that they need to take advantage of.

A win over Auburn will move Mizzou back into bubble territory. For now, here’s the latest “Race for the CFP” entering Week 8 of the College Football season.

Top Four Seeds (Conference Champions)

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1. Texas: The Longhorns made an impressive statement with a 34-3 blowout win over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game. Texas’ elite defense has only allowed 38 points in six games.
2. Oregon: In one of the best games of the College Football season, the Ducks delivered on the big stage with a 32-31 win over Ohio State. Signature win for Dan Lanning and company.
3. Miami (FL): Coming off a bye week, the 6-0 Hurricanes hit the road at Louisville on Saturday.
4. Iowa State: The Cyclones quietly keep winning under Matt Campbell — improving to 6-0 on the season with a 28-16 road win over West Virginia. They host UCF on Saturday night.

Top Contenders (Hosting First Round Games)

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5. Ohio State: The Buckeyes are still one of the best teams in the country, and a one-point loss on the road to Oregon doesn’t change that.

6. Penn State: In what was one of the best games of the day on Saturday, the Nittany Lions improved to 6-0 with a 33-30 overtime win on the road over USC.

7. Georgia: It wasn’t in dominant fashion over maybe the worst team in the SEC, but the Bulldogs improved to 5-1 on the season with a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. For the first time in 50 games, Georgia will be underdogs on Saturday at Texas.

8. Texas A&M: After their bye week, the Aggies are primed for a second half run — starting with Mississippi State on the road Saturday.

Bubble Teams (Last Few IN)

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9. Clemson: Dabo Swinney and Cade Klubnik have Clemson rolling. The Tigers have won five in a row after their season-opening loss to Georgia. They could very well win out the rest of the way.

10. BYU: The Cougars improved to 6-0 on the season, taking care of business in a 41-19 win at home over Arizona.

11. Alabama: After their loss to Vanderbilt, the Crimson Tide survived in a 27-25 win at home vs South Carolina. Bama is fortunate to be on the right side of the bubble, and that will certainly change with a loss vs Tennessee on Saturday.

Group of Five Team

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12. Boise State: The Broncos took care of business in a 28-7 win over Hawaii to improve to 5-1 on the season. Yet another big game from Ashton Jeanty with 217 rushing yards and a TD.

Bubble Teams (Last Few OUT):

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Tennessee: The Vols didn’t look their best but got away with a 23-17 win at home over Florida.

LSU: The Tigers got a much needed 29-26 overtime win over the Rebels to stay alive in the playoff race, but there’s still a tough road ahead for Brian Kelly’s team.

Notre Dame: The Irish improved to 5-1 on the season, providing some much-needed style points in a 49-7 blowout win over Stanford.

Indiana: The Hoosiers are 6-0 and are ranked No. 16 in the latest AP Top 25 as they host Nebraska on Saturday in Bloomington.

Dark Horses/Sleepers:

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Pittsburgh: The Panthers improved to 6-0 with a 17-15 win over Cal heading into their bye week and have upcoming ranked matchups at SMU and vs Clemson that could determine their playoff fate.

SMU: The Mustangs are 5-1 and come in at No. 21 in the latest AP Top 25. SMU is at Stanford on Saturday night in the middle of their three-game road trip.

Nebraska: The Huskers are 5-1 and sitting right outside the Top 25 and have back-to-back huge opportunities at Indiana and Ohio State.

Army and Navy: Both programs are still undefeated for the first time since 1945. Army comes in ranked No. 23, and Navy sits at No. 25.

Here is my projected 12-team playoff entering Week 8 of the season:

1. Texas
2. Oregon
3. Miami (FL)
4. Iowa State

5. Ohio State vs 12. Boise State

6. Penn State vs 11. Alabama

7. Georgia vs 10. BYU

8. Texas A&M vs 9. Clemson

CFP Final Four: Texas vs Ohio State, Oregon vs Penn State

CFP National Championship: Texas vs Oregon

National Champion: Texas