WHO: Missouri Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
WHAT: CHAMPIONSHIP, SOUTHERN-FRIED FOOTBALL IN THE ATL SHAWTY
WHEN: Saturday, December 6 – 3:00pm CT
WHERE: The Jaw-Juh Dome, Atlanta, GA
TELEVISION: CBS
(of the useless variety)
Onky three facts matter:
- Mizzou is batting .667 in trips to Atlanta
- Last year – during Mizzou's 4-0 SEC East clinching November run – Jack Peglow participated in No-Shave November. He shaved for the first time before the SEC Championship Game, which Mizzou lost.
- This year – during Mizzou's 4-0 SEC East clinching November run – Jack Peglow participated in No-Shave November. HE HASN'T SHAVED.
All player tweets this week. Staying focused.
Lol ☕️ these games are none of my business though
— Shane Ray (@X_RAYted56) November 29, 2014
Playing the number 1 team in the country for the title in the countries best conference is something you dream about but man this is real
— Lucas Vincent (@High_Chief_LV96) November 30, 2014
Can we take a second to talk about how @budsasser21 is the most efficient passer in #Mizzou history
— Lucas Vincent (@High_Chief_LV96) November 29, 2014
When your mom is cool with the whole squad... pic.twitter.com/aRkMfDSTBZ
— Bud Sasser (@budsasser21) December 1, 2014
Its been a honor and a privilege to go to war with my brothers in the ZOU over the past few years. Thank you all for the memories.
— Braylon (@BrayWebb) November 29, 2014
Who do you hope to see more from against Alabama?
AlaTiger: Jimmy Hunt. No drops, please.
The Beef: Kenya Dennis. I am assuming he is going to draw the task of locking down Amari Cooper, as much as one locks down Amari Cooper. Keeping him under some sort of wraps would go a long way to helping Mizzou shock the world.
HHKB Chris: My friends at the Wide Receiver position, all three of you guys, listen up. You see the ball, you catch the ball, you secure the ball, you run with the ball, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes it rains.
Jack Peglow: Darius White, my man, Mizzou needs the entirety of the offense to contribute this Saturday, so I'mma need you to go deep, get over top of the defense, and catch yourself a nice, long TD.
Sam Snelling: Aarion Penton/Kenya Dennis. Whoever is going to have the task of trying to stick with Amari Cooper.
Fullback U: More explosive plays. I loved how Mizzou was able to gain huge chunk plays with it's wide receivers and hope to see Darius White step up and contribute on the biggest stage he could ask for. #MoneySeason
Switzy227: Brinser. We need all the tools we can get if a win is in order. We will punt at times - those punts need to be excellent to give us a field position advantage (or at least, draw).
Adam Cribbs: We're going to need a big game out of whoever is covering Amari Cooper. It's next to impossible to shut him down, but slowing down his raging success is step one.
What group (D-line, O-line, coaches, etc.) would you like to see a better performance from?
AlaTiger: The O-line really needs to play a complete game.
Beef: Back seven on defense. Not only do they need to play strong pass defense, but also be able to stop the running game as well. I think the front four will do what they can against the run and I think they will get Sims a bit (especially since the Bama Oline is a little dinged up). But Brothers and Scherer need to be stout against the run and the back 4 or 5 very solid against the pass.
HHKB: My special guys on the special teams! Murphy, let's get that return game going, Baggs, keep em straight through the uprights, and Christian, no more gentleman's line drives of the punts, high and accurate, it's on you to do a little pinning.
Peglow: It's on the offensive line to open up enough lanes for Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough to scamper through, and to not rack up the penalty yardage in the process.
Snelling: The Offensive Line. I think the key to Mizzou staying in the game will be to keep Bama's offense off the field, and Mizzou is going to need to be able to move the football.
Fullback: Tacklers. Mizzou has to make all it's tackles on the spot and not allow forward progress for running backs or wide receivers. The defensive line is going to be asked to make a ton of plays but every one else needs to step up and make smart sure tackles in space. Force Bama to slowly crawl down the field in a way I'm not sure this year's team is comfortable with.
Switzy227: Running backs. Decisiveness and footwork, and good legal blocking.
Cribbs: The fullbacks. Psht idk, everyone's doing pretty well I guess.
Give us one WILD prediction for this week's game.
AlaTiger: A Mizzou victory. No craziness could top that.
Beef: Last week I said Brinser was going to have two punts over 50 yards. Clearly I had the wrong special team’er. This week, I will say that Baggett hits another wind-aided field goal….as I am clearly out of wild predictions.
HHKB: Mizzou scores first...IN BOTH HALVES!
Peglow: Marcus Murphy houses a return to keep things closer than they should be for longer than they should be.
Snelling: Marcus Golden gets the forced fumble, recovery and Touchdown on the same play.
Fullback: Mizzou doesn't give up a touchdown to Amari Cooper.
Switzy227: No field goal attempts for either team.
Cribbs: Mizzou is leading at some point in the 4th quarter. I don't know if that means the beginning of the end of the 4th quarter, but at some point.
Three years in the SEC with two SEC East championships, is that kind of success sustainable?
AlaTiger: Winning the division 2/3rds of the time doesn’t seem sustainable. Being a serious title contender most years does.
Beef: I think it is to some extent. We certainly found the right time to land in the East. 10 years ago, this would not be the case, but these types of things appear to be cyclical. We don’t know when one of the Mississippi coaches gets poached out and Miles decides to go to Michigan and Saban goes back to the NFL. But for right now, I see UGA breaking in a new QB next season…FL in some transition…USC at an interesting time and potentially looking for a new coach in the coming year or two (I think the OBC could head out if they repeat the 6-6 season next year)…Kentucky getting close, but not being there yet, Tenn getting closer than Kentucky, but not getting there yet either…and Vandy being smart. I think our home schedule sets up decently and we will return a decent amount of folks.
HHKB: I believe it is. And I am a little on board with Sam in thinking that if everyone had stayed healthy and not suspended (SHELDON!) we could have made some noise that season as well. Basically in Gary I trust. My biggest concern is the WRs who of those coming back, we haven't seen much. And I look forward to us winning the east again next year in a way that makes everyone else as mad as they have been the past two years.
Peglow: Should the fans expect back-to-back SEC Championship Game berths? No, that's hard for the creamiest of the crop. What they can expect, in my opinion, is for Mizzou to be in the top half of the division pretty consistently. That may not mean a trip to Atlanta every year, but it does mean keeping up this level of play or something close to it as the roster changes.
Snelling: Of course it is. It would have been 3 for 3 if Mizzou wouldn't have been so banged up in season 1. I'm telling you guys. The honest answer is that's it's pretty unlikely. Next year could get a little rockier with Golden and Ray leaving. Their impact on this season can't be understated. With all that said, I don't see why you can count on a baseline of 8 wins a season with the way things have been going. And if you get to 8 wins, that's only a win or two from getting into the championship game. All you have to do is give yourself a shot.
Fullback: Mizzou is going to see a massive regression in the coming years because the past two years have had senior laden teams amplified by the motivation of the 2012 season. Mizzou is a cyclical team that needs to develop it's talent over the course of 2-3 years to be able to hang with the major players and I see 2014 as the end of a very successful run. That kind of success is sustainable with patience and the kind of back to back success we've experienced.
Switzy227: I think it is, and I say that solely on the trust I have in Pinkel and company.
Cribbs: Yeah I'm pretty sure we're never going to miss out on an East championship again. But for real, winning it twice in a row will only help with recruiting (along with facility upgrades), and if Gark can put together a team this good with the guys we have now...
Mizzou pulls off the upset, how are you celebrating?
AlaTiger: I’ll have a great time in downtown Atlanta, and then buy a ridiculous amount of SEC Champs merchandise.
Beef: Hmmm….around 6:30/7pm on a Saturday night? Probably bathing my children.
HHKB: Gonna party with the Jimmies!
Peglow: Running through the streets of Chicago with a stereo blaring OutKast's greatest hits slung over my shoulder, drinking deep from the chalice of success and eating friend chicken out of a KFC box with "ZAXBY'S" written over the logo.
Snelling: Um... bourbon. Lots of bourbon.
Fullback: I haven't even considered the possibility.
Switzy227: Randomly shouting with joy for at least a week.
Cribbs: By calling into Finebaum and yelling ROLL TIDE at the top of my lungs to every caller.
Any other thoughts?
AlaTiger: I’d like to see a Mike Evans style shutdown of Amari Cooper. I’m afraid we might see a 75-yard completion to him. I’m hoping the offense brings it for the whole game. C’mon, Mizzou, make this happen.
Peglow: Mizzou could be the team that keeps the SEC out of the first College Football Playoff. They aren't getting in, but they can certainly keep someone out. Embrace the role of the villain, Tiger fans.
Snelling: One thing I worry about is that I have a similar quiet confidence going into this game that I had last year. That confidence stems from how this defense is playing right now. They're playing as well as I remember a defense play at Mizzou (since the 1946 Gridders, anyway). So, since I felt about the same last year, it's probably going to be a blood bath. I'd love to see Mizzou make a good run at Bama, and if they can keep it close I'll be happy. But why not win it all? Enjoy the ride everyone. Honestly, we aren't supposed to be here. So no matter what happens, enjoy it.
Cribbs: Can Mizzou fans stop playing the DISRESPECT card now? For real. Who gives two craps what some fan in the middle of nowhere Alabama or Mississippi thinks of Mizzou? The national media has started to realize that the Mizzou football program is for real, but boy do we still get offended when fans of other teams have something negative to say about us. Until they beat us, I wouldn't worry about their opinions too much.
Ladies and gents, WE HAVE A NEW LEADER.
IN FIRST: BillSelfsToupee, with 60 correct picks
IN SECOND: ArmyOfMike, with 58 correct picks
IN THIRD: HHKB Chris, with 56 correct picks
TIED FOR FOURTH: The Beef and Jack Peglow, with a 55 correct picks
THE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK SLATE:
And heeeeeere are our EXPERT picks:
Name | Arizona - Oregon Spread | Arizona - Oregon O/U | Alabama - Mizzou Spread | Alabama - Mizzou O/U | FSU - GT Spread | FSU - GT O/U | Wisconsin - OSU Spread | Wisconsin - OSU O/U |
Mike | Oregon | Over | Mizzou | Under | Tech | Over | OSU | Under |
HHKB | Oregon | Under | Mizzou | Under | Tech | Under | Wisconsin | Under |
Jack | Oregon | Under | Alabama | Over | Tech | Over | OSU | Over |
Beef | Arizona | Under | Alabama | Over | Tech | Over | Wisconsin | Over |
BST | Oregon | Over | Alabama | Over | Tech | Under | Wisconsin | Over |
Watch high school senior Nick Saban get BLOWED UP.