The Morning Commute for October 7, 2024.
Welcome to the Morning Commute
Today we’re talking about polls. It’s not great, as you can imagine.
There was a lot of speculation around where Mizzou would land after its disastrous 41-10 loss to Texas A&M this past weekend. And while some pessimists thought (hoped?) the Tigers would fall out of the Top 25 completely, that was never going to happen, especially not after the team they beat two weeks ago took down the country’s top outfit. And, hey, Mizzou wasn’t the only top 10 team to take a hit this weekend! Hell, they weren’t even the polls’ steepest fall!
The Tigers are all the way down to No. 21 in the AP, but Michigan grabbed the title of freest-fall after dropping 14 spots total. In the coach’s poll, Mizzou is up at No. 18
Look, I understand that many people think Mizzou hasn’t shown themselves worthy of being ranked yet. I get it. But I also think that’s short-sighted. Mizzou hasn’t looked “good” for the better part of a month. But that’s also forgetting that they still have a lot of the talent that took them to a Top 10 finish last season, plus a defense that played pretty damn well up until their visit to College Station. Almost nothing went right against the Aggies, and that doesn’t necessarily mean the Tigers are one of the country’s worst teams. Does it mean that they might be closer to an 8-9 win team than a 10-11 win team? Sure. But that’s all to be determined.
As we learned in college football this weekend, nothing is guaranteed. A lot is still up for grabs. It’ll be Mizzou’s job to sort it out from here.
Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+
In which Karen recapped the week at Rock M:
Episode Seven of my podcast, Majority Rules, is now available. In this episode, we’re talking soccer senior night, their big Florida win, volleyball’s one good (LSU) and one disappointing (A&M) game, softball’s big Fall Ball opener win, women’s hoops exhibitions, golf’s promising performance at the Blessings Invitational, baseball needs better communication regarding fall ball, gymnastics oath keeping, men’s cross country dominance and fan journalism (fanalism). This was a fun one with everyone here together.
Good things are happening in Mizzou Sports! Just… not on the football field right now.
In which we had a little laugh about our incorrect predictions ahead of Texas A&M:
Let’s not do this again, sound good?
Sure thing, me.
It’s past time for the Tigers to start figuring out who they want to be and who they can be. The wilderness brotherhood has been exposed. But that doesn’t have to define who they are. It doesn’t have to define the season. The beauty of the new playoff is you do get a mulligan.
And the benefit of a mulligan is you are not as bad as your worst moment, as long as you can show the rest of the time you were not that worst moment. Success can be fleeting, but for this season’s Missouri Tigers, it doesn’t have to be.
He stole what I was thinking for a mid-week column, btw, sucks to you, Sam.
In which the opening odds are set for next week and Chad. Has. Thoughts:
Mizzou at UMass (+27.5 / 53.5 total)
NoW – Okay, get ready to hear all week long how this is the dumbest scheduling move ever by a P4 school. And you know what? I’m not gonna try to dissuade anyone from that stance, because this one is pretty brutal. If you’re surprised to see Mizzou as four-TD favorites after what just took place in College Station, don’t be. UMass is, shall we say, non-good…
Don’t really care if they’re good or not, tbh, just want Mizzou to get back on track!
In which Matthew recaps Mizzou Volleyball’s tough outing against Kentucky:
Simply put, the Tigers were overmatched. Mizzou’s offense, one of the best in the conference, never found its stride.
The team has also struggled tremendously with front row defense this year, recording the fewest blocks in the SEC and the second-worst opponent hitting percentage.
When the offense is off its game, the defense is unable to make up the difference, causing a result like the one we saw today.
Hmmm… that last line… why does it seem familiar?
The Tigers have a lot of young talent that understandably excites Coach Grevers and his staff. Having been with the team for an extended period of time now, Grevers reminded me that the newest Tigers have “been recruited into his vision.” They know what his expectations are and what the program is about.
Even from watching just one meet, there appears to be tremendous buy-in, not just from the underclassmen, of which there are many, but the team as a whole.
It should be a fun season for Karen and Rory to cover at Rock M.
The 2024 Season Preview Magazine is still available NOW over at Rockm.plus:
The 2024 Mizzou Football season is one that has been met with as much anticipation as any in recent memory. With Eli Drinkwitz’s program taking a huge step forward in the 2023 season, going 11-2 and securing a Cotton Bowl victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes, there’s a renewed focus on what Missouri can do to put itself in the conversation for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
The digital magazine we present today is 115 pages chalk full of Mizzou Football previewing, scouting, interviewing, and more…
Plenty of season left to learn about, folks! Support local journalism and all that!
Over at Rock M+, we’re talking about the fall in the polls, Pro Football Focus grades and hoops ‘crootin. Be honest, when are we not talking about hoops ‘crootin over on the boards?
Rock M Radio: Before the Box Score was back!
< recent youtube video here >
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