By Jackson Meyer

%Hoops season is fast approaching and excitement is growing immensely. Nearly 15 more days until we get to hear the somewhat beautiful but annoying sound of shoes squeaking against the hardwood. Unfortunately, there is some news that really, unfortunately, we kind of expect as Mizzou fans. Jontay Porter tore his ACL and MCL and will be out for the season. I guess you could say we got Mizzou’d. Anyways let's stop being depressed babies. I will dive into last year’s performance, key players lost, key returners, key newcomers, and overall expectations for this Tigers team.

Last Year’s Performance:
Last year was honestly quite an amazing year. The Tigers did a complete 180-degree with the help of new coach Cuonzo Martin and improved upon an 8-24 record, to a 20-13 record. We suffered through three quite horrendous years of Tiger basketball and now Mizzou hoops looks to be restored. Martin brought the fourth best-recruiting class in the nation to Columbia and really made the best of it.

Unfortunately, we did not get to see Michael Porter Jr. play except three games. But Cuonzo still overcame the adversity of Porter’s injury and turned the program around aimed it in the right direction. Many guys stepped up last year and helped carry this Tiger team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in nearly five years. Unfortunately, Mizzou did not have a whole lot of postseason success.

In the SEC tournament, the Tigers would play against Georgia who we earlier had mopped the floor with, 68-56. This game had a lot more anticipation than usual though. Why you may ask? Michael Porter Jr. was making his long-awaited return. But of course us Mizzou fans can't have nice things., and the Tigers fell short 62-60. Luckily we made it into the NCAA tournament as the 9th seed, and our round of 64 matchup would be against Florida State. Thanks to Jordan Barnett being suspended just before the game because of a DUI, we struggled without one of our best 3-point shooters, and defenders, and fell to the Seminoles 67-54. But even though we didn't have any postseason success, this program was clearly headed in the right direction.

Key Players Lost:
Kassius Robertson: 16.3ppg, 43% from 3. (Graduation). Robertson’s loss hurts the most for sure. Robertson was a leading scorer and was an overall leader for this team. Anytime you needed a big-time three, Robertson was there. I'm afraid Missouri doesn't have a guy like that this year.

Jordan Barnett: 13 ppg, 5rpg. (Graduation). Barnett’s loss hurts quite a bit as well. Barnett was also a very good 3-0point shooter, and defender. Barnett was also very athletic and was a good rebounder. Barnett was a great player, but honestly, I think he can be replaced.

Michael Porter Jr: 10ppg, 6.7rpg, 30% from 3. (Draft). Porter's career was short-lived to say the least. Porter had to undergo surgery on his back on Nov 21st. Porter luckily was able to get back on the floor for three games but did not do that much and some will say he actually hurt the team. But let me tell you something whether you like it or not. Porter was a vital piece in turning this program around and brought Mizzou basketball back onto the map. Porter wasn’t even near 100% but still came back and fought for his team. Porter supported his teammates through the thick and thin and gave Mizzou fans hope yet again for a basketball program that had been a dumpster fire for three years. Porter may not have had an effect on the court, but he damn sure did off of it.

Jontay Porter: 9.9ppg, 6.8rpg, 36% from 3. (Injury). Porter's shocking injury throws this season into chaos, as he was pegged to be the leader and linchpin of this team. He likely faces a 9-12 month recovery time, and must decide how best to turn his talent into an NBA career. He is a long and athletic player, must most impressive for Jontay, is how mature he is for an incredibly young player.

Key Returners:
Jeremiah Tilmon: 8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg. Tilmon is a huge returning player for this team. Tilmon brings great energy on the floor and is great under the rim, something this program has not had since Alex Oriakhi. Tilmon is a decent rebounder and a great finisher. Tilmon needs to work on not getting into foul trouble, because now that Jontay Porter is out for the season, Tilmon will get much more time on the court.

Jordan Geist: 7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 ast. Geist will be taking his last ride this year as a Tiger, and it seems like he's been here forever. Geist will bring great defense to this team, as well as a reliable perimeter shooting threat. Geist will probably be the starting point guard due to experience, with Xavier Pinson only being a freshman. Geist needs to work on not turning the ball over so much this season, as his carelessness cost the Tigers many games like agianst Florida.

Kevin Puryear: 8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg. Puryear will also be playing his final campaign as a Tiger this season. Puryear is a very solid player and has a great work ethic. Puryear will be a pick and pop kind of guy and will be hoping to improve on a measly 25% 3-point percentage. Puryear needs to start becoming a more consistent shooter, and if he does he will be a very solid player yet again.

Key Newcomers:
Xavier Pinson: Pinson is a 6'2" point guard, coming from the Windy City. Pinson is known for being a pass-first point guard who has a knack for distributing the ball. Pinson is also very good around the rim, due to his athleticism, and insane vertical, proving that after winning the dunk contest at Mizzou Madness. Expect Pinson to come off the bench, and look like a near replica of Phil Pressey.

Torrence Watson: Watson is a pure scorer. The kid has the ability to put the ball through the net, from anywhere on the floor. I watched Watson a couple of times all throughout his impressive high school career and he is something special. Watson will be a leading scorer for this team, and in my opinion, there is no doubt about it.

Javon Pickett: Pickett is a pure scorer as well. Pickett was a guy that did not get as much hype as Watson  in his high school career. But Pickett has been getting great praise from his fellow coaches, and especially teammates, due to being a natural scorer and being a talented perimeter shooter. I could see Pickett being a Kim English type of player here at Mizzou, and I’m excited to see how his freshman year pans out.

Overall Expectations:
Honestly, due to Porter’s injury, my expectations are somewhat unclear. I originally thought that this team could win about 22 games and finish around the top-6 in the conference. The real question is, how big is Porter’s loss to this team. That question will later be answered. I say this team can finish around 7th or 8th in the conference and can win around 20 games. I’m not ready to hit the panic button because of Porter yet.
​
Overall record: 21-10

By Joe Cody

When looking at the Alabama game two weeks ago, we did not ask if Mizzou could beat the Crimson Tide. We asked how the Tigers would respond to the inevitable loss. We may have gotten the answer. In doing so, a sequence of events during the second quarter of the homecoming game against Memphis may have provided a perfect microcosm of the Tigers under Odom.
 
Mizzou was rolling, up 21-0 in the second quarter. However, thanks to dumb penalties, an offense that went silent, and poor defense, the Memphis Tigers scored 17 straight points. It was third and one on the Mizzou side of the field and Mizzou failed to convert. How would Odom, Lock, and the Mizzou offense respond? Following a gutsy call rolling Lock out of the pocket, Mizzou converted the fourth down on a short pass to Johnathon Johnson, who somehow did not drop the pass. The next play, Albert O went deep for the touchdown and Mizzou was once again off and running.
 
Like a car stalled out and needing a quick restart, Mizzou got the jolt it needed on that fourth down and put Memphis away for good, providing Lock and Odom with their first win against a Power-Five team with a winning record. The win does not mean the same mistakes this imperfect Tiger team continue to make are gone though. Mizzou still committed 12 penalties for 122 yards. They still allowed Memphis to score 33 points (not as worried about this one). But, for the first time, when it came down to it, the Tigers finally stepped on the throat of an opponent and cemented a victory in convincing fashion. This week, the opponent is upgraded and the Tigers return to SEC play against the no. 12 Kentucky Wildcats.
 
While it is trite to say every game could be the defining game of a player or coaches career, the upcoming home game against the Wildcats presents an opportunity for Lock and Odom to achieve another first, a win against a ranked opponent. Drew Lock has repeatedly said he wants to leave a legacy at Mizzou and delivering a home win against a ranked SEC division opponent could do just that. But let’s look at the Wildcats to know if Mizzou can beat Kentucky.
 
Kentucky’s offense is basically a better version of the Memphis Tigers. They are also led by a top-five running back in the country, Benny Snell. Snell leads the Wildcats with 9 rushing TDs and 868 rushing yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. While this is almost half of the average rush of Memphis RB Darrell Henderson, Kentucky has played the likes of Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Texas A&M, beating all of them except A&M in a loss in OT. Kentucky’s offensive weakness appears to be poor QB play, where the Wildcats average a paltry 127 yards per game behind Terry Wilson. Lynn Bowden Jr. is the leading receiver for the Cats, who has the same number of TDs this season that Albert O scored against Memphis (three). 
 
Kentucky’s defense comes in as the number four defense according to Football Outsiders, reflecting the quality of their opponents and pure efficiency. They only allow 302.6 yards of total offense per game. Josh Allen (one of the best linebackers in the country) leads the team with eight sacks and will put the experienced Mizzou O-line to the test. The Kentucky secondary is led by safety Darius West, who has three interceptions and one fumble return for a TD. 
 
Kentucky started the year off strong, ended an absurdly long losing streak to the Florida Gators on the road, beat a decent Mississippi State team at home, took the Aggies to OT on the road, and beat down the Gamecocks. This may be the best Kentucky team of our lifetimes, yet last week seemed to open the door to the usual Mark Stoops second-half slowdown. Kentucky barely got past Vanderbilt, scoring only 14 points. While Snell still got his, Kentucky struggled and appears vulnerable.
 
To see if Mizzou can beat Kentucky, we need to gaze into a crystal ball and try to determine which Missouri team will show up this week. If the South Carolina/Georgia/Alabama version walks into Faurot Field on Saturday and continuously shoots itself in the foot with bad penalties, inconsistent offense and poor defense, the Tigers will most likely lose a close game. However, if Odom and Lock have righted the ship, continue to utilize the emerging weapons of Jalen Knox and Albert O and get back top-WR and deep threat Emanuel Hall, and the defense gets much needed turnovers, Mizzou may have too much talent for the Wildcats to keep up with.
 
Like last week, the run defense will be the key to the Missouri defense getting three and outs. Terry Beckner Jr. and Terez Hall will lead the defense in stopping Benny Snell from grinding down the field on 10 or 15 play drives, eating away at the clock and keeping Lock and company off the field. Special teams will also play a role, with both Tucker McCann and Corey Fatony needing to execute cleanly.
 
Vegas likes the Tigers to pull the upset against the Wildcats thanks to a second week in a row strength on strength match up at home. The up and down Tigers will most likely play with our emotions for four quarters on Saturday, balancing amazing efficiency and talent with bone-headed mistakes and undisciplined play. However, it is nice to once again see the emergence of a Tigers team that can make big plays in all three phases of the game, and I do think the Tigers will finally beat a ranked opponent, giving Odom and Lock their biggest win and even more momentum heading into a huge game against the Gators in the Swamp. 

By Joe Cody

Last week, Mizzou was exactly who we thought they were (Bonus points if you get the Dennis Green reference). They were an inferior team that struggled on offense, shot themselves in the foot with more mistakes, and failed to make any of the big plays necessary to compete against Alabama.
 
This week, the Tigers play what could be one of the defining games in Barry Odom’s Mizzou career. The Memphis Tigers, where Odom served as a defensive coordinator before coming home to Mizzou, come to Columbia for homecoming and Mizzou searches for a way to end a three-game skid. Will they end the losing streak and regain momentum before re-entering SEC play? Let’s look at the Memphis Tigers in hopes of figuring out whether Mizzou can beat Memphis.
 
The Memphis Tigers are 4-3 and are coming off a disappointing one point loss to the undefeated, number 10 ranked UCF Knights at home. This game really was a tale of two halves, with Memphis building a 17-point early lead.  Memphis scored 30 first half points, scored six times on six possessions, and Darrell Henderson, one of the best running backs in the country, ran wild for 172 yards. The second half led to the Knights comeback for a thrilling victory, shutting down Henderson to a measly 27 rushing yards.
 
Henderson appears to be the key to the Memphis offense. U of M averages more rushing yards (275) than passing yards (263) per game. This is not to demean QB Brady White, who is an accurate QB who boasts a 68% completion percentage and a stellar 15:1 TD to INT ratio. White spreads the ball around, with Damonte Coxie serving as his top target at WR. Patrick Taylor is another name to watch, as the running back is second on the team with 7 TDs.
 
Defensively, Memphis allows a total of 365 yards per game, nearly perfectly balanced between the running and passing game. Linebacker Curtis Atkins leads the team in tackles while Bryce Huff and Joseph Dorceus each have five sacks.
 
Coming into the season, I thought Memphis is the exact type of team that Missouri should beat if Odom wanted this team to achieve any distinction. This is even more true now that the schedule looks more daunting than it did in September as Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas all seem to be better than we thought they were. I still want to think Memphis is a team Mizzou will beat.
 
Mizzou will have a lot to overcome though, as it appears Emanuel Hall is still out, due to injury and the death of his father. Drew Lock will have to step up and beat an opponent with a winning record for the first time in his career. He will have to limit bad decisions and protect the ball. I do not think he is the key to this game though.
 
The Mizzou defensive line will have to take over this game, stopping Henderson from taking control of the game and keeping him out of the end zone. When Memphis does pass, the Mizzou secondary will need to make plays and not let players get past them. Offensively, the Mizzou running back trio of Crockett, Rountree and Badie will need to take advantage of a Memphis defense that allows 171 rushing yards per game.
 
The Missouri Tigers have everything to play for in this game. Homecoming, ending a losing streak, keeping hopes alive for a bowl game, and their head coach. This game will tell us more about the Tigers, Odom, and Missouri football than any game so far this season. Mizzou should win this game, but I fear it will be close. And we all know how our close games tend to go…

By Jackson Meyer

Drew Lock.

Mr. Heisman Candidate.

I think all of us can pretty much say now that Drew Lock is no longer a Heisman candidate. He has become a victim of the pattern that has been talked to death with Lock, that he plays phenomenally against sub-par teams... only.

As a reference to that, lets look at his first three games of the season.

UT-Martin: 19/25 for 289 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
Wyoming: 33/45 for 398 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
Purdue: 26/43 for 375 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

As you can see, against mediocre competition, he does play like a Heisman candidate. But when he plays against competition that is competent…not so much.

Georgia: 23/48, 221 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
South Carolina: 17/36, 204 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
Alabama: 13/26, 142 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

The evidence is pretty stark. The narrative is true. The only game when he achieved a 50% completion percentage was against Alabama. Over the last three games, Lock has thrown one touchdown, and five interceptions. Not only will that knock you out of the Heisman running, on some teams, that will knock you out of the starting lineup.

Of course playing good teams is harder than playing bad teams, and statistics will reflect that. But the thing that concerns me is that the last three games are the games where you're supposed to “prove” that you are a top quarterback in college, but Lock just hasn't done that.

Now to his credit, he hasn't had Emanuel Hall or Nate Brown the last three games. But for someone that is a potential NFL quarterback, that is not really much of an excuse. If you have watched Lock since 2015, this is unfortunately a common trend. He has repeatedly played like hot dog water against even decent competition. Now people will bring up what he did last year in the last six games and the fact that he threw 44 touchdowns.

While yes he did play great against Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, I think we can all agree none of them were any good last year. Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas all fired their coaches last year. Also I feel like, as a Senior, there are too many times, in too many games where we're still asking “Why did he throw that ball?”

It's pretty obvious that Lock doesn't make the greatest decisions in the world. Now another quarterback that is considered to be a tad better than Lock is Justin Herbert from Oregon. These were his stats against Washington on Saturday.

Washington: 18/32, 202 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

I couldn't even imagine how Lock would play against a team like Washington. Now for all the people that have the same wild opinion as me (we should start giving backups meaningful playing time considering how bad Lock has been) here's a look at who those backups are and what we know about them.

Micah Wilson:
In Wilson’s senior season at Lincoln Christian:
3,730 yards passing, 198/279, 56 TDs, 2 INTs

Micah Wilson, in my opinion has loads of potential and I really think he needs to start getting a little playing time. Now, he is the third string quarterback but my favorite thing about him is that the kid can run. He's a dual threat quarterback and it is always nice having a quarterback that can run and pass. Micah is great in the short and medium passing game, but not really not known for his deep ball. He may not have the arm talent Lock has, but he definitely has potential.

Taylor Powell:
In Powell’s senior season at Fayetteville HS:
3,473 yards passing, 44 TDs, 7 INTs

He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior season as well as, the Hooten’s Offensive Football Player of the Year. Taylor Powell has good arm talent and is pretty athletic as well.

Lindsey Scott Jr:
In Scott's year with East Mississippi CC:
3,481 yards passing, 258/398, 29 TDs, 11 INTs
​ 
This guy once looked to be a phenom. Was a great quarterback in high school, but later had a disappointing year at LSU. He later made a pit stop at JuCo Eastern Mississippi Aka “last chance U”. The dude has lots of potential but there's not a lot that indicates that he is special.

Drew Lock is a bonafide star and will play on Sundays. But he makes enough mistakes to warrant at least splitting some time occasionally with the guys who may replace him next year. They need the action as well.

I've seen bloodbaths before. Way back when, my high school had assembled a basketball team for the ages. They barreled through their district, through regionals, and were deep into the state tournament. What they had failed to do however, was to have an NBA caliber small forward on their team. Pembrook Hill's squad did that, in the form of Kareem Rush.

When my lowly cow-town basketball team went up against Kareem and his brother Jaron, it was like watching a natural disaster in slow motion... or Puerto Rico in regular motion. Our small town boys looked like they were running through molasses as the Rush brothers dunked, blocked, and swished everything in their path. It was horrific and it was ugly. And Saturday, I will re-live that pain.

But what if that didn't happen?

Imagine for a moment, Barry Odom makes some secret Faustian Bargain and beats Alabama. What would that look like? What would the ripple effects from that be? How much would we all drink?

What's the harm of daydreaming?

Here's what we might be able to expect. First of all, at ground zero, in Tuscaloosa, there would be shock and silence. The fans in Alabama would head for the exits early which would only fuel Nick Saban's ever-smoldering rage. The national sports shows would start cutting in and announcing upset alerts and score updates. Paul Finebaum would begin loading the revolver he secretly keeps under his SEC Nation desk. What I'm describing is the prelude to chaos.

It's kind of like when a category-5 hurricane is approaching the shore. The Weather Channel crew battle throbbing erections, and everyone in the storm's projected path begins going nuts, buying plywood, water jugs, and more gasoline than they could possibly ever need. That's what we'd experience in the moments leading up to a Mizzou win in Tuscaloosa.

Once the clock struck 0:00, the storm would hit. On the field, Mizzou players would erupt into a euphoric hysteria. ESPN would attempt to interview Barry Odom while players jumped on him, poured sugary drinks on him, and lifted him above the fray. Ol' Barry himself would utter the usual "I'm just happy for my guys," and "We worked really hard for this," and the obligatory "All respect to Coach Saban and his team. They're a hell of a team." But I'd like to think he'd also work in a Kim Anderson-style rebuke to nay-sayers (like those jerks at the Mizzodcast) in the form of "Shove it up their fucking ass!" He'd deserve to do it.

Back in Columbia, ho boy. Watch the fuck out. It... would... be... a... party. I mean it would be chaos. The bars downtown would start to swell with humanity as the game draws to a close. Social media would be a damn zoo. The Mizzodcast crew would be so so drunk. Also the voicemail line would be an absolute shit show. You will start to get text messages from people you haven't spoken to in years, congratulating you on Mizzou's win. You would pleasure your wife/girlfriend like big bull elk.

Barry Odom would be absolutely clear of any and all "hot seat" talk. You would hear the words "signature win" a lot... I mean a lot.

Drew Lock would begin to get actual real-life Heisman votes. You'll also hear a lot of talk about how he showed he can win the big game on the big stage. You'd hear that a lot.

Drew Lock would impregnate half of Boone County... including your wife/girlfriend, because let's face it. You're not the biggest bull elk around here. It would be a damned honor to have Drew Lock impregnate your wife/girlfriend, were he to beat Alabama. You should be proud.

Mizzou would be ranked suddenly... like #12th in the country or something absurd like that. Oh, and long-shot recruits would start taking Barry Odom's calls.

Paul Finebaum would declare not only the SEC, but all of college football "down" this year.

Flowers would start smelling better. The leaves would be brighter shades of orange and gold. There would be a pep in your step. And then it would happen.

The skies would open up and horsemen would reign terror down on Boone County, as the apocalypse begins.

By Joe Cody

This week is about two things. First, we need to realign the expectations for the season based on what happened in Columbia East. Second, it is coming to grips with what will happen on Saturday down in Tuscaloosa.
 
We have seen our share of disappointing Mizzou football games. We have had our hearts broken consistently with under-performing teams, knucklehead coaching decisions, and brutal officiating decisions. Rarely do all three come up to bite the Tigers in the ass at the exact same time.
 
The game Saturday was about changing the national narrative for the Tigers. Barry Odom was going to win only his second game against a team we think will be bowl eligible at the end of the year. Mizzou was going to be 4-1, winning two games on the road against Power Five teams and showing they had a real chance to win eight or nine games. Drew Lock was finally going to lead his team to a defining SEC victory, putting his foot on the throat of an opponent and closing out a must win game. The defense was going to make key plays and stop a future first round pick in Deebo Samuel and take advantage of a backup Senior QB.
 
Then the Rains of Columbia fell, the third quarter happened, and the entire narrative changed. Mizzou has now gone from a team that could have been ranked to a team fighting to stay above .500. Barry Odom has gone from a coach that led the rebuild to a coach that could once again be fighting for his job come end of November. Drew Lock has gone from a Heisman candidate to a player that cannot lead his team to victory. #DLineZou is not coming back.
 
Mizzou has a much tougher remaining schedule than 2017. Replace Connecticut with Memphis. Kentucky and Florida have both beaten top 15 teams this year and are top 25 talents. Arkansas just hung 31 on Alabama (Good teams win. Great teams cover). Sure, Tennessee is a dumpster fire and Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt, but do you have enough confidence in this team to not choke those games away as well?
 
This brings us to the toughest game Mizzou has played under Barry Odom, a trip to Tuscaloosa to face the best player in college football, the best coach in college football, and the best team in college football. No one in their right mind expects Mizzou to come close to winning this game. Hell, I bet if you gave Barry Odom some truth serum, he would even say they do not stand a chance against the football powerhouse. Alabama is beating opponents by an average of 40 points in 2018. Mizzou is allowing 32.5 points per game. We do not need to go into the X’s and O’s for a game that has Mizzou listed as a 28 ½ point dog.
 
Rather than asking can Mizzou win against Alabama this week, we should be asking a different question. Who left on the schedule can we be assured Mizzou will beat? Can they get to six wins and become bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-2014? The Alabama game will not tell us much, but how the players respond to a beat down may…

By Joe Cody

Mizzou is 3-1 and in control of their own destiny, just like everyone expected. While the path to the point we all thought we would be at is different than expected, Mizzou has done what they needed to put themselves in a position to regain national relevance. After a bye week, which will help injured Tigers such as Emanuel Hall, Missouri faces the ever-disappointing media-darling South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia East.
 
South Carolina has stumbled to a 2-2 start after being anointed Georgia’s biggest threat to retaining the East crown. With losses to two ranked opponents (Georgia and Kentucky), South Carolina is looking to rebound with a win against the Tigers. However, as Will Muschamp does best, a team loaded with talent continues to underwhelm and disappoint. The Gamecocks have returning junior QB Jake Bentley and feared WR Deebo Samuel. Speaking of Jake Bentley, did you hear how he graduated high school early (not a hard feat in South Carolina due to the 4th grade reading level requirements for a GED) just to play for the Gamecocks?

​Despite the hype around these two offensive weapons, Will Muschamp has continued his trend of dutifully wasting offensive talent in the SEC as South Carolina has just four 30-yard plays from scrimmage, the fewest in the SEC according to Post-Dispatch writer Dave Matter. Rico Dowdle and Tyson Wlliams lead the ground game while Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith at WR both are recipients of single coverage as defenses account for Samuel. Their offense turns the ball over at a high rate, with nine giveaways in 2018.
 
Defensively, the Gamecocks allow a stingy 338.3 yards of total offense, which considering they have played Georgia and Kentucky is impressive. They allow only 159.5 yards through the air and 178.8 yards on the ground, showing a balanced defense without a single glaring weakness to exploit. Rashad Fenton leads the team with 3 INTs while DL Javon Kinlaw leads the team in sacks (2) and forced fumbles (2). It does not appear that South Carolina consistently gets pressure to the QB but this could be a symptom of playing two top 15 teams in the first four weeks.
 
Finally, we need to talk about the absurd entrance of Cocky, the South Carolina mascot. While the SEC Network and CBS get hard every time that stupid chicken attempts to bust out of his busted-ass cage while 2000 techno-hit “Sandstorm” plays, all I can think of is how insane it is that students and alumnus who once wore “My Cock is Smelley” t-shirts get pumped to what Sports Illustrated says is one of the best entrances in college football. Actually, as I read that sentence out loud, I know exactly why South Carolina fans think this is so great.
 
So, now that we know a little about the Gamecocks, the question is, can Mizzou win against South Carolina?
 
South Carolina has the hallmarks of a team that Mizzou should beat and needs to in order to gain respect nationally. Much has been written about this team’s inability to beat teams with winning records and while South Carolina is technically .500, they will finish the season bowl eligible unless something bad goes down. Drew Lock should rebound from the Georgia game and exploit the South Carolina defense, bolstered by the return of a (hopefully) healthy Hall. Without his ability to go deep, Lock was forced to throw short and intermediate passes that failed to scare Georgia. As is the trend for Mizzou the last two seasons, the key to this game will rest with which defense shows up. The defense should exploit the Gamecock affinity for the turnover and make a few big plays. The question will be whether the secondary is up to the task of stopping Deebo and Bentley in the passing game.
 
Going into this season I felt the Tigers would be underdogs in this game but thought they could win. Nothing so far has changed my opinion of this. Listed as 2 point dogs on the road, if the Tigers want to remain in the top 3 of the SEC and avoid a collapse heading into Alabama next week, they need to win this game. This could be the first signature win for Barry Odom and Drew Lock. After all, the calendar has changed to Lock-tober.