Missouri Is a Dark Horse in SEC East

The Missouri Tigers have existed in mediocrity since the 2014 college football season when they won the SEC East, but don’t be shocked if they get back to being a contender team in 2021.

Yes, the SEC East most likely belongs to the Georgia Bulldogs, but with the Florida Gators expecting regression this coming season, it leaves the door open for Missouri to be Georgia’s top contender in the division.

While a 5-5 record in 2020 was nothing to write home about, new head coach Eliah Drinkwitz succeeded expectations in his first year at the helm of the program. Now with a full offseason to prepare, Drinkwitz is in prime position to once again surpass expectations.

WynnBET has Missouri’s win total for the 2021 season set at 7.5, which means the Tigers could have their first winning season since 2018. Even if they go under 7.5 wins, a 7-5 regular season record will be viewed as a success.

Tigers quarterback Connor Bazelak will return for his sophomore season, and he’ll be looking to build off what was a solid 2020 campaign. He threw for 2,366 yards while completing 67.3% of his passes. He’ll need to limit his turnovers if he wants to take the next step in his development this year, as he threw seven last year.

Missouri’s defense should see a boost in 2021, as Drinkwitz hired former NFL head Coach Steve Wilks to serve as his defensive coordinator. After allowing 49.3 points per game last year, there’s nowhere to go but up for the Tiger’s defense.

Missouri will have its entire defensive secondary return to the program this year, including their top cornerback Jarvis Ware, who missed most of last season with an injury.

Expectations for the Tigers certainly to win the SEC East, but if Florida regresses they could certainly be the number two team in that division. Vegas thinks that could be the case as well, as they’re listed sixth on the odds list at WynnBET to win the SEC at +1200, third in the SEC East behind Georgia (+275) and Florida (+700).