Missouri’s bye week arrives at a decent moment.
The Tigers are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, and they head into the break after getting hammered by Ole Miss, 31-3, in Oxford. Missouri also had 24 players on the availability report last week, so there should at least be some value in stepping away for a bit.
That rough weekend wasn’t kind to the PowerMizzou crew, either. Everyone finished 3-5 in Week 7, though the group didn’t all stumble on the same games.
Cody and Gabe both correctly took Ole Miss over Mizzou.
Drew hit on Kentucky over Oklahoma.
Sean got Arkansas over Vanderbilt.
Intern Matthew, the season’s standout so far, correctly backed Tennessee against Alabama.
The updated standings after Week 7 look like this:
- Cody: 59-14 (20-13 SEC)
- Gabe: 57-16 (19-14)
- Drew: 56-17 (19-14)
- Intern Matthew: 55-18 (19-14)
- Sean: 53-20 (17-16)
Week 8 still brings plenty to chew on, with games like LSU-Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Texas A&M-Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Ole Miss-Texas in Austin. All games are Saturday, Oct. 24, unless noted, and all times are central.
#18 LSU at Auburn, 11 a.m., ABC
Gabe picked LSU.
Cody also went with LSU and wrote, “If the Letdown Theory is correct, then LSU should roll here.”
Drew took Auburn and said, “Lane Kiffin's repentance to the football gods continues.”
Sean went with LSU, adding, “Lane Kiffin stars as Joe Exotic in the "Tiger King" movie.”
Intern Matthew backed LSU as well and said, “Picking LSU on the road feels like lending money to someone who still owes you. I'm choosing to believe they've changed.”
#11 Tennessee at South Carolina, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Gabe chose South Carolina.
Cody took Tennessee and said, “Jim Knowles' defense is as smooth as Tennessee Whiskey.”
Drew stayed with Tennessee and wrote, “I'm not buying into Cocktober. The Vols beat Bama by 16 and SC lost to the Tide by 31 ... how on EARTH is Tennessee not favored here?”
Sean went with South Carolina and called it the “Let down game of the week.”
Intern Matthew picked Tennessee and said, “As the only person who picked Tennessee to beat Alabama, they've earned my trust. That's apparently all it takes. Very thorough vetting process.”
Texas A&M at #13 Alabama, 2:30 p.m., ABC
All five picked Alabama.
Gabe went with the Crimson Tide.
Cody did too, while noting, “This matchup has a history of being spicy. You had Johnny Manziel beating Nick Saban.
You had Saban and Jimbo Fisher feuding over buying recruits. Now you've got … one coach that referred to a huge chunk of his fanbase as a cesspool and another that doesn't really say anything ever.
Kind of lame when you think about it.”
Drew also picked Alabama and said, “To make a basketball reference, it's going to be a Jaylen Carey special: a rebound.”
Sean backed Alabama and wrote, “A&M hungover from last week's battle with The Citadel.”
Intern Matthew chose Alabama as well, adding, “Texas A&M going from The Citadel to Alabama feels like passing the syllabus quiz and being told the final is tomorrow.”
Oklahoma at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
Everyone took Oklahoma.
Gabe went with the Sooners.
Cody’s pick came with, “No Kamario, No Fluff, No Shot.”
Drew said, “This is such a tough call to make because if Super Kamario and Fluff Bothwell are playing, MSU clearly wins it, but if not, they clearly lose it. I'll stay on the cautious side for now. Here's a good question: Will either side score more points than the number of players on their injury report?”
Sean also picked Oklahoma and wrote, “Will Kamario Taylor play? It's a very tight-lipped subject.
Kind of like the first rule of Fight Club. If not, Sooners give Bulldog fans a few Ma-teers.”
Intern Matthew backed Oklahoma and said, “I trust their defense to get enough stops. Trusting their offense is a separate conversation I'm not prepared to have.”
#7 Ole Miss at #19 Texas, 6:30 p.m., ABC
Gabe went with Texas.
Cody picked Ole Miss and sang out, “🎶It doesn't take a crystal ball to see, the Longhorns' losing streak will go to three🎶”
Drew took Ole Miss and wrote, “It is so over. Like I always say, when they win, we drink, and when they lose ... we drink. Boy oh boy have I been drinking the past two weekends.”
Sean also chose Ole Miss, saying, “Archie > Arch”
Intern Matthew picked Ole Miss too and said, “I watched enough of them against Mizzou to make this pick. Would've preferred to do less research.”
Vanderbilt at #12 Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Gabe went with Kentucky.
Cody also took Kentucky and said, “My girlfriend thinks Clark Lea looks like "if Dr. Evil and Vin Diesel had a baby." As such, 'Cats are too fast, too furious, and will win by … one million points.”
Drew picked Kentucky and wrote, “The Wildcats have been the biggest surprise of the season, just like it's surprising that Sean Williams STILL hasn't completed his punishment for coming in last place in last year's pick'em pool. Please let him know in the comments how disappointed you are in him.
(A reminder: all Sean's gotta do is either write an 800-word essay on Eraserhead, or eat 10 Dr. Pepper-soaked McNuggets.)”
Sean went with Kentucky and asked, “What happened to the Vanderbilt we all loved?”
Intern Matthew also took Kentucky, saying, “I had Kentucky losing last week. They're No. 12 and I'm fourth out of five, so I'll let them handle the football.”
In Other News...
Mizzous Young Core Just Showed What Dennis Gates Wants Late
Missouris exhibition trip to Manhattan, Kansas, offered a useful early snapshot of what Dennis Gates is trying to build, and the Tigers got a win at Bramlage Coliseum for the first time since 2004. With playing time spread around, the game gave younger pieces a chance to settle into real minutes, while Jason Crowe Jr. and Trent Pierce stood out enough to reinforce why this group has been drawing attention before the season even begins.
The bigger takeaway may have come in the closing stretch, where Gates leaned on those younger players to help finish it off. Missouris offense had its rough spots, but the defensive effort held up and the late-game reps should matter as the Tigers figure out who can handle pressure when the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]