
It’s somehow November already. There are some big matchups in the SEC, some national spots that could be fun, and the biggest game of Mizzou’s season.
Each Friday, I will grace these electronic pages to preview the week ahead in college football with my “Three by Three.” I’ll take a gander at three interesting things each in the Mizzou matchup, in the SEC, and around the nation. I’ll try to hit some under-the-radar things, too, and not just Texas and Ohio State each week, you know?
Oklahoma at #24 Missouri — 6:45 on SECN
1.) Brady Cook
Pray to whatever deity you pray to – God, Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, little baby Jesus, Zeus, Brad Smith – that Brady Cook is healthy enough to play on Saturday. Oklahoma is not a tremendous football team, they have holes and are very beatable. But an offense like the one displayed against Alabama would make most college defenses look like the prime Steel Curtain. We need Brady.
2.) Defensive Havoc
Missouri’s key to winning this game is preventing Oklahoma’s offense from starting to feel themselves. After hanging a 50-burger on an FCS school and getting back star wideouts Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks from injury, Oklahoma might start thinking it is time to turn this whole miserable season around. No. Squash those dreams. Mizzou needs to be aggressive and create Havoc, and not let Jackson Arnold find a rhythm. Things MUST be made difficult for Oklahoma in the early portion of the game.
3.) Good Vibes
Mizzou must come out of the bye week and put the trials and tribulations of Tuscaloosa behind them. They need some magic from the ghost of Gahn McGaffie. They need a Brady Cook Willis Reed moment, a defense kickstarted by a raucous crowd, and a gameplan willing to cut loose. They must own the vibes in this game, and feed a full-throated Faurot frenzy. They must not let the return of Farooq and Burks bother them, and must instead own the game and put Oklahoma on their heels. Playing tight in this game would mean a certain loss.
In the SEC
#11 Alabama at #15 LSU — 6:30 PM on ABC
As conference realignment brings us all kinds of Franken-matchups like Georgia vs Texas, Michigan vs USC, etc, it is refreshing to see a big game that feels like a proper familiar big game. Alabama vs LSU has been arguably the defining matchup of the sport’s zenith in the past two decades, largely thanks to Nick Saban’s titles at each school, but also colossal matchups in 2011, 2012, 2019, and others. This one doesn’t have the same stakes, but it is a playoff eliminator, however. Both offenses are explosive and should have big games against these two thin secondaries.
#3 Georgia at #16 Ole Miss — 2:30 PM on ABC
Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin has made a habit of chewing through the majority of their schedule before running into a hard ceiling when they play one of the elite teams in the league. Sounds familiar to Mizzou fans, doesn’t it? They will make yet another Sisyphean attempt to dethrone a top team. To get the boulder to the top of the hill, their portal acquisitions along the lines of scrimmage will need to show why they were brought in — previous efforts against Alabama and a Georgia have ended with the Rebs getting whipped in the trench.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt — 3:15 on SECN
It’s David Vs David as the SEC’s giant slayers face off against one another. The first quarter is going to be critical for this matchup, as both teams are heavily reliant on a favorable game state; neither is particularly well-built to lead a comeback. Vanderbilt plays like a service academy with a ground oriented attack, lots of QB run game, and a very slow pace. The option elements of their offense will be a huge weapon in this game, by reading South Carolina’s tremendous defensive ends to take them out of the game. The Gamecocks have no consistency on offense, and rely on big plays and a ferocious pass rush to keep opponents on their heels.
Around the Nation
Michigan at #8 Indiana — 2:30 PM on CBS
The Hoosiers undefeated march rolls on, as they put their perfect 9-0 record on the line when hosting the defending national champions. Curt Cignetti’s crew, a three-way hodgepodge built out of veteran Group of Five transfers, the best Hoosier holdouts, and the stars of his excellent JMU team, continues to defy expectations. They are now two-touchdown favorites over the blue-est of blue bloods. Will they make it ten in a row, or does Michigan still have enough dominant line talent to end the dream season?
#25 Army at North Texas — 2:30 PM on ESPN2
North Texas is one of the pointsiest teams in America, with a high-powered offense called by Eric Morris, the mastermind who put Cam Ward on the map at Incarnate Word and Washington State. They also have an extremely generous defense, and routinely play in high-scoring affairs. Army may or may not have Bryson Daily back at QB this week; at least the football program is showing its young charges the importance of keeping state secrets. If Daily plays, expect both teams to light up the scoreboard.
#9 BYU at Utah — 9:15 PM on ESPN
The Holy War is now a conference matchup, as both BYU and Utah have hopped into the Big 12 the past two seasons. This is a fierce little rivalry; both teams and fanbases truly hate one another. If you like defensive football, it will be a nice palate cleanser after the fireworks listed above. BYU is undefeated with an excellent defense, and will put their clean sheet on the line at perhaps the best home crowd advantages in all the nation. Honestly, any college football rivalry that has been given a nickname is must-see TV for me.
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