How Much Higher Can Missouri Fly This Season?

The No. 16 Missouri Tigers have a tough remaining schedule as they pursue a high-profile bowl game.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Oct 25, 2023 7:00 AM EDT

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The Missouri Tigers continued their best start to a season (7-1) since 2013 after dominating South Carolina 34-12 this past Saturday. This game also featured their 700th win in school history, becoming the 33rd institution to accomplish the feat.

Missouri climbed from the No. 20 to the No. 16 spot in the AP Poll after the Mayor's Cup victory, and as they spend this week without an opponent for Saturday on their minds, one could wonder how high the Tigers can fly.

Missouri clinched bowl eligibility after their win over Kentucky on Oct. 14, but like all schools, they want to be considered for a postseason game that falls around New Year's.

The Tigers' one loss keeps them in contention for a high-profile bowl game around late December to early January, but it will not be an easy road.

Missouri holds the second-best record in the SEC East. However, not only is their next game (Nov. 4) against the highest-ranked team in the division, but also in all of college football with No. 1 Georgia.

The defending back-to-back national champions have been on premature upset watch a couple of times this season, and when they haven't, they're 2-5 against the spread. Georgia is slightly worse on both sides of the ball this season compared to the last couple, and having elite tight end Brock Bowers out with a high-ankle sprain could decrease morale against an up-and-coming team like Missouri.

Missouri certainly has a shot at shocking the college football world by taking down the Bulldogs, but Georgia's home-field advantage is all but unbeatable as they haven't lost in Athens since Nov. 12, 2019 against South Carolina. Georgia has won 34 consecutive regular season games as well. If Missouri keeps it close and easily covers the spread, they should still be ranked in the AP Poll if they lose.

While Georgia is indisputably the Tigers' toughest opponent the rest of the season, there are a couple of other talented teams that may pose as an obstacle in their high-profile bowl game pursuit.

After they play in Athens, Missouri will host currently 21st-ranked Tennessee. The 5-2 Volunteers haven't had as much success this season as last year's No. 6 final ranking, but they've shown flashes of good things to come. Nevertheless, Tennessee is coming off of a loss to Alabama and will face a Kentucky team with the same record as them this Saturday.

The Tigers' only remaining tough obstacle would be 5-2 Florida, which defeated Tennessee 29-16 earlier this season. However, the Gators have a tough slate of games ahead, as they'll be challenged by Georgia and currently 15th-ranked LSU before they meet Missouri.

Missouri has shown on both sides of the ball that it is capable of defeating both Tennessee and Florida, and the final game of the regular season against 2-6 Arkansas should also chalk up a "W" on the schedule.

If Georgia defeats Missouri, it'll fall to 7-2. But if they keep that "best start since 2013" energy and beat the final three opponents, a high-profile bowl game is inevitable.