In Missouri's 5th year in the SEC, the Tigers are mastering a Big 12 offense

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Sep 22, 2016, 4:54am CDT

I really enjoyed this piece from SEC Country's Ollie Connolly, and not just because he referenced my stats.

SEC Country: In new Missouri system, Drew Lock can be a star

The Big 12’s conference-wide move to the Air Raid has had a clear influence. Heupel is using Baylor’s offense at Missouri.

The object of the system is to spread the field, create 1-on-1 matchups in space for receivers, clear the box for running backs and have the quarterback read one half of the field.

How they achieve that is by forcing the defense to cover the entire width of the field. Receivers line up outside the numbers and sometimes directly by the sideline.

That makes the defense do three things:

1. Unload the box.

2. Play mostly man coverage.

3. Play with wider safety splits in two-high sets, allowing the offense to split the field.

Through simple receiver alignments, the offense can attack one half of the field, assured the defense is playing predominantly man coverage.

Nice job of walking through what have become the basics of the Heupel offense. It's developing with periodic failures obviously (and Connolly does a nice job of walking through those, too), but there's an identity here that is both a) potent as hell and b) far more Big 12 than SEC. Pretty funny.

2 days to Delaware State

No major injuries at the moment (knock on wood)

The Trib (Blake Toppmeyer): Barry Odom on the SEC teleconference: Delaware State week

"We’re pretty good. We had a pretty good practice yesterday. Logan Cheadle was limited with an ankle sprain." Samson "Bailey (ankle) practiced all practice and had a really good one. We’re in pretty good shape and just take that at a day at a time and continue to get the guys" healthy. "Alex Ross (ankle), the tailback, had more reps yesterday than he did last week, so I anticipate him being ready to go."

Post-Dispatch: Mizzou injury report sounds promising

Scherer's a keeper

The Missourian: TODDLERS TO TIGERS: When Michael Scherer didn't smile, he wrestled

KC Star: Bond between Mizzou’s Michael Scherer and Barry Odom translates to success on the field

Before the game, Odom had a conversation with Sam Pittman, Georgia’s offensive line coach who was at Arkansas three years prior, about the linebacker.

"I was talking to Sam Pittman," Odom said, "and he said, ‘I wish you’d hurry up and graduate 30. … You sure you and Scherer didn’t play together?’

"When you’re a good player and you’ve played for as long as Mike has, you get some recognition, and he deserves everything he gets."

More features:

The Trib: With Thomas Wilson as his guide, Missouri safety Cam Hilton finds a home on defense

MUtigers.com: Mizzou Senior Feature: Rickey Hatley

Losing isn't particularly fun

PowerMizzou: Powered Up: The Agony of Defeat

I walked out of that press conference wondering if Odom can continue to take losses so hard and hold up through a season. I asked him on Monday if dealing with losses was harder as a head coach than it had been as an assistant. The only difference? Now we all see how he deals with it.

"It is different. It’s different because of the platform that I’m on now," he said. "If I was interviewed last year after a couple of defeats, you’d probably see the same thing. And in 2009 when I was coaching the safeties, you’re probably going to see the same thing. And in 2001 when I was at Rock Bridge High School, you’re probably going to see the same thing.

"I celebrate wins like nobody’s business and I live in misery with losses. That’s the way that I have to function. That’s me. I’d like to give you a bunch of coach talk, but that’s who I am."

KC Star: What could Mizzou have done different in the fourth quarter against Georgia?