clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mizzou Links, 4-2-12

By Bill Connelly

Mizzou Football Links

The Beef and I have been marveling at just how well-positioned Mizzou is for in-state recruiting this year, and how there seemed to be at least a small chance of landing all 13 in-state prospects they have offered to date. Of all the names on the list, I was most wary, however, of Ezekiel Elliott. Despite being a Mizzou legacy a bit, he seemed to be speaking the most highly of other schools, and sure enough, he committed to Ohio State yesterday. Urban Meyer really has been recruiting like crazy in Columbus. Still, Mizzou has already gotten six commitments from the remaining 12, and it appears they are in very good shape to snag a couple more by the spring game. I don't know if this was the plan or not, but the class as a whole seems to be taking shape in a "get as many Missouri kids as possible early, then start bringing in the out-of-staters in the fall" approach. But at most, they will get 12 of the 13 early-offer kids.

Other Football Links

Eight teams would surprise me. Everything I've read suggested the Plus One was all but a done deal over the last couple of months. The problem I've always had with eight is simple: selection criteria are infinitely more difficult. At four, you just go with "top four teams" or maybe "top four conference champions" (with a potential compromise). What do you do at eight? Do conference champions get an automatic bid, or at least a seeding bump? Do you cap the teams at two-per-conference? A lot more questions here.

  • PLAYoff?
    SB Nation: College Football Playoff: NCAA President Sees 'Momentum' For 8-Team Plan

Mizzou Basketball Links

Be sure to check out Ricardo Ratliffe's new official website. It's very well-done.

  • Fhaith
    MUtigers.com: Frank Haith Named AP National Coach of the Year
    The Trib: Haith named AP Coach of the Year
    KC Star: MU's Haith is AP coach of the year
    Post-Dispatch: Haith earns second national coach of the year award
  • 'Cardo
    KC Star: Ratliffe's efforts recognized
  • Oriakhi
    ZagsBlog: Alex Oriakhi Mulling Visits

Other Basketball Links

Mizzou Softball Links

What a weekend for the softball team, which swept a Top 20 Baylor team and stayed within two games of 5-0 Texas at the top of the Big 12 standings. This was custom-made to be a "Mizzou wins series but drops the middle game" series as a whole, but Nicole Hudson's grand slam (hell of a weekend for her, both on and off the field), the Tigers' second of the series, gave the Tigers the boost on Saturday. Mizzou bombed away at Baylor pitching all weekend, hitting five home runs and scoring 17 runs overall. Average 5.7 runs per game for Chelsea Thomas and Kristin Nottelmann, and you will win a lot of games.

  • No. 12 Mizzou 6, No. 18 Baylor 1
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Powers By Baylor, 6-1
    The Trib: Missouri finds the fences
    The Missourian: Muller's slam fuels Missouri softball team's win over Baylor
  • Mizzou 4, Baylor 2
    MUtigers.com: Hudson's Slam Lifts Tigers Over No. 18 Baylor
    The Missourian: Hudson's clutch slam gives Missouri important victory
    KBIA Sports Extra: Hudson's grand slam adds second Missouri win over Baylor
  • Mizzou 7, Baylor 0
    MUtigers.com: Tigers Sweep Bears with 7-0 Win
    KBIA Sports Extra: Mizzou Softball blasts a 7-0 win over Baylor for series sweep
    The Missourian: Missouri softball's Nicole Hudson celebrates Baylor sweep, reopening of father's Joplin business

    The Missouri softball team won its third consecutive game against Baylor on Sunday afternoon, beating the Bears 7-0 at University Field to sweep the No. 18 ranked team and extend its latest winning streak to five.

    But for junior and starting outfielder Nicole Hudson, something more exciting than sweeping a Big 12 Conference rival — possibly the last time — was happening about four hours southwest of Columbia.

    At 4 p.m. Sunday in Joplin, Hudson’s father hosted the grand reopening of the Domino’s Pizza restaurant that had been destroyed by a devastating F5 tornado almost 11 months ago.

  • The Trib: MU's Genovese plays with love for game

Mizzou Baseball Links

Heading into the weekend, I really just hoped Mizzou Baseball would avoid a sweep at No. 6 Texas A&M simply because, well, Texas A&M is No. 6 in the country. A series can get away from you in a hurry against teams that good. Instead, Mizzou came within three runs of a sweep of their own, and winning only one of three was a bit disappointing. Hell of a series overall, though, with A&M almost engineering a late comeback in Game Two, then Mizzou pulling off a five-run, ninth-inning comeback in Game Three, only to lose via walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. The Mizzou bats looked pretty damn good this weekend, however. That is a lovely sign. In all, if you were looking for signs that this Mizzou team was absolutely improved over last year's (their record is better, but the non-conference schedule was pretty weak), there were some pretty definitive ones this weekend.

Other Mizzou Links

Don't look now, but there's a chance that Missouri might have a viable tennis program for the first time since ... well, since I arrived in Columbia in 1997. The Tigers aren't exactly ready to contend for a national title or anything, but they took out two Top 50 programs this weekend, and four of the six primary players will return next year. Coach Sasha Schmid seems to be getting somewhere, which is fantastic.

  • Mizzou Tennis
    MUtigers.com: No. 68 Mizzou Downs No. 43 Stephen F. Austin, 4-3
    MUtigers.com: No. 68 Mizzou Upsets No. 30 Rice, 4-3
  • Mizzou Track & Field
    MUtigers.com: Track and Field Wrap Up Another Record Weekend at Arkansas & Texas
  • Mizzou Women's Golf
    MUtigers.com: Tigers Finish 17th at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic

Other

  • Balotelli
    Dirty Tackle: This is Mario Balotelli helping a man laying in a parking lot

Next Up In Links