By Joe Cody

Mizzou opens the 2018 season at home against the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, an FCS opponent we assume they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to travel to Columbia for an ass-whopping. Before we answer the question “can they win,” let’s take a look at UT Martin.
 
First off, their mascot is the Skyhawk, which seems redundant because my basic knowledge of hawks seems to lead me to believe all hawks can fly. Except Jayhawks. Those no-good, piece of shit “birds” are only good at catching the attention of the FBI and having historically bad football teams. Back to UT-Martin. Are they good at football?
 
As previously mentioned, they are an FCS team and it appears a middle of the pack team at best, finishing 6-5 overall and 4-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Last year they only had the 97th ranked total FCS offense but did have the 4th ranked total defense. Apparently, last year they had to pull the redshirt on 2018 starter Dresser Winn midseason to jumpstart their offense. If you google Dresser Winn to find out who he is, the first article that comes up is titled,” How did UT Martin get Dresser Winn?” I cannot tell if they are telling a story, or like us, actually wondered out loud who is this kid and how did he end up in Martin?
 
The closest opponent UT-Martin played to Mizzou last year was the dumpster fire of a program, Ole Miss. The Rebels beat the Skyhawks 45-23 in a game that only could have been interesting to the kissing cousins that sat in the stands in Oxford. Apparently, UT-Martin even led this game after the 1st quarter and were only down one at half-time.
 
Now that you know more than you ever wanted to know about one of the five University of Tennessee schools available for Tennesseans to get an “education,” we wonder, can Mizzou win against UT-Martin?
 
They better damn well win against UT-Martin. While this wouldn’t be App State vs. Michigan, it would be pretty catastrophic for the Tigers if they lost this game. Mizzou hopes to have a more balanced attack this year, led by Heisman hopeful Drew Lock and the two-headed monster of Larry Rountree III and Damarea Crocket at running back. Add in pre-season All-SEC TE Albert Okwugbunam and a talented wide receiver core of Nate Brown, Johnathon Johnson, Emanuel Hall, et al., and this team should put up points against an inferior group of athletes. On the defensive side, Terry Beckner Jr. will anchor an athletic front seven that should take care of business and put Dresser Winn on his back. The linebacker core, led by Terez Hall should have plenty of opportunities to get involved and disrupt the Skyhawk offense. The biggest concern lies with the secondary, especially after last year’s opening debacle. Let’s just hope the secondary does its job against an inferior opponent and uses this opportunity to build momentum heading into tougher games.  
 
Yes, Mizzou can, should, and most likely will take it to UT-Martin and start the season 1-0. The best part is this game will be done in time to watch Kansas lose to Nicholls State later that night, if you are into that sort of thing.

By Benjamin Herrold

With college football season mercifully back, it’s a reminder that a road trip to support the Tigers is a fine way to spend an autumn weekend. College football is the best because it’s social, it’s an adventure, it’s participatory. With that in mind, let’s take a look at this year’s road trip options, with my thoroughly subjective ranking.
 
Oct. 13 at Alabama
Given the historic success of the Alabama program, the current run of dominance under coach Nick Saban and the frenzied passion of Crimson Tide fans, this is the Missouri road game to attend this fall. Given the ridiculous SEC schedule, under which Mizzou plays at some teams in its conference less frequently than the United States of America endeavors to count every person in the country, this is a once-in-12-years chance to see the Tigers play at Alabama.

It’s also a chance to see the massive Bryant-Denny Stadium, one of the 10 biggest stadiums in the world, where legends like Joe Namath, Derrick Thomas, and Forrest Gump have played.

Of course, for decades Alabama played many big games in Birmingham, until they came to their senses and realized college football on campus is the way to go. (Looking right at ya, Arkansas, and that small old stadium in Little Rock that’s apparently going to host Battle Line Rivalry games whether Mizzou likes it or not.)

The game itself at Alabama could be a bloodbath, but there’s fun to be had in Tuscaloosa, and on the off chance Missouri pulls an upset for the ages, wouldn’t it be cool to say you were there?
 
Oct. 6 at South Carolina
Williams-Brice Stadium is perhaps an underrated venue in the SEC. A child of the Great Depression, built as a Works Progress Administration project, it rises above a pretty good tailgate scene at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Before kickoffs, fans whip themselves into a frenzy waving white towels while “Sandstorm” plays. Just watch out if you’re sitting in the east upper deck. It sways and moves when the crowd gets going, prompting one former South Carolina coach to say, “If it ain’t swayin’, we ain’t playin’” after a big win.
This is also a good road trip because Missouri could use a win over South Carolina to move up in the SEC East standings this year. Georgia is the clear favorite, but getting past the Gamecocks would at least be another rung higher.

It’s also worthwhile to explore the other Columbia, including the Five Points region where I first realized you can have steak and cornbread in the same meal.
 
Nov. 17 at Tennessee
If you like enormous stadiums, scenic Appalachian vistas, and hearing “Rocky Top” played relentlessly, this is the road trip for you. Nestled by the Tennessee River, Neyland Stadium can be electric when the Vols are playing well, and the fanbase has a boost of momentum with a new head coach, Jeremy Pruitt.

It’s certainly a passionate fanbase, and after Mizzou won their game there in 2014 I saw two fans brawling in the bleachers. But it wasn’t opposing fans, it was two Tennessee fans fighting it out.

Even if this road trip isn’t necessarily a marquee game this year, Knoxville is still a fun town, it’s not too terrible of a drive, and Tiger fans who make the trek will probably still have a lot of fun.
 
Nov. 3 at Florida
The Swamp, officially known on its drivers license as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, is a storied SEC venue. It’s also a long way from Columbia. That’s part of why it ranks down here, along with the current state of Florida’s program.

The Gators weren’t good last year, but they made an exciting hire in Dan Mullen, formerly the coach at Mississippi State. This game probably won’t have any ramifications on the SEC East race, but who knows how the teams will look by November.

Despite the distance, this is one to check off the list at some point. Thousands of people doing the Gator Chomp is a sight to see. Plus Florida is just a bizarre, well-tanned state, so there are all manner of curiosities to take in. This one could easily rank higher, and it’s a great reminder that pretty much every SEC road trip destination is fantastic.
 
Sept. 15 at Purdue
To watch a game at Ross-Ade Stadium on television, seemingly always an 11 a.m. kickoff, sparse but hardy crowds, steel gray skies above, announcers trying to muster enthusiasm, grass seemingly cut too high, teams punting on 4th-and-1 from the 39, is to stare into the Abyss and wonder at the meaning of things.

But things are different now! Purdue has an exciting second-year head coach, Jeff Brohm! They have lights now! Big Ten fans are sensible people who drive the speed limit, show up to movies on time, and for a long time rarely engaged in morally loose frivolities like football after dark. But Purdue finally installed permanent lights in 2017, and this will be a night game. It’ll be just the 12th night game Purdue has hosted, and just the fourth under the permanent lights.

It’s a fairly short drive for Missouri fans, which helps, but lacks the appeal of some of the SEC road trips this season. Then again, I just checked the Mizzou ticket website and they’ve sold out of their visiting team ticket allotment for this game, so clearly Tiger fans are ready for the takeover of West Lafayette, Indiana. 

By Ben Mahnken

With less than 10 days until kickoff, I wanted to take a moment to look back before looking forward.
The 1997 Missouri Tigers ended a streak of 13 consecutive losing seasons. The Corby Jones and Devin West-led Tigers returned to a bowl game for the first time since 1983. The Tigers returned to a bowl game the next year as well, before taking a couple years off from the bowl scene until they returned in 2003 in Gary Pinkel’s third year as coach.

In 12 seasons from 2003 to 2014, the Tigers went to 10 bowl games, won five division championships in the Big 12 and SEC, and came within one game of a national championship on two separate occasions, with both of those seasons culminating in victories in the Cotton Bowl.

But enough with the history lesson- my point is this:

Fans of the Missouri Tigers have again grown accustomed to winning.

Which is what made the 2015 and 2016 seasons so frustrating. And the first half of last season... and - besides the final score of the bowl game - what made last season’s second-half run so satisfying. Because bowl games are what this generation of Missouri fans have come to expect.

The 2018 Tigers have 17 returning starters, including your best player on both sides of the ball in Drew Lock and Terry Beckner, Jr. A loaded offensive line. A legitimate 1-2 punch at running back. A talented group of tight ends. Experience spread around the defense, especially in the linebackers. To summarize, talent and experience coming back all over the field, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

It is crucial this year, especially with the in-state recruiting classes of 2019 and 2020, that Missouri takes a step forward this season in an effort to prevent the program from taking two or more steps back.

I, and Kirk Herbstreit for those of you who pay attention to his annual pre-season awards, believe the Tigers have the talent necessary to surprise some people.

The Tigers and Head Coach Barry Odom must take that talent and make a step forward. And a step forward doesn’t mean a trip to the College Football Playoff. And, not to burst anyone’s hopeful bubble, it doesn’t even mean a division championship.

It means taking care of business in games you can win (looking at you, Purdue and Florida). It means showing up and really competing in games where expectations may be a bit lower (looking at you, Alabama). It means maybe stealing a game you aren’t favored in (looking at you, Georgia and South Carolina).

This is a make-it-or-break-it year for Barry Odom. In order to keep this program on the right path, a winning season is a necessity.
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A losing season means Barry Odom probably loses his job. In doing so, the aforementioned talent-rich 2019 and 2020 in-state recruiting classes may look outside the state to find an institution of higher learning at which to play football.

Odom has the chance to improve upon last year’s campaign and boost the overall confidence of a fanbase that expects winning and bowl games but may still be teetering on the fence between a belief that Odom can deliver and the belief that Odom can’t quite get the job done.

That fence existed in the early years of Gary Pinkel, may I remind you.

If Barry Odom wants to get this program back to the years of consistent bowl performances, the occasional threat to the establishment of college football, and a fanbase with unwavering support (or as close to that you can get in college football), I would recommend that he win now. Unfortunately, this kind of pressure is what comes with the territory of being the head coach of the Missouri Tigers.

Odom’s job may depend on it. But more importantly, the next five years of Missouri football may depend on it.