Red Flags: 5 college football teams on upset alert in Week 5
- Has the luck of the Irish already run out?
- Is there a leak in the Beavers' dam?
- What could we learn from the Magnolia Bowl?
By John Buhler
4. Missouri Tigers
Opponent: at Vanderbilt Commodores | Time: Saturday, Sept. 30, 4:00 p.m. ET (SECN) | Spread: Missouri -13.5
Well, what do you know? Eliah Drinkwitz's Missouri Tigers are sneakily 4-0 and ranked No. 23 in the nation, potentially on the verge of getting to 5-0. All that stands in Mizzou's way is the plucky 2-3 Vanderbilt Commodores commanded by one Clark Lea. Is Missouri better than Vanderbilt? I think so, but keep in mind that this game is Nashville and Drinkwitz's squad is still very much an unproven one.
The visiting Tigers will be laying a whopping 13.5 points. I am not saying this spread is too vast, but you need to go with the under here. 55 points are probably not being scored in this mid-afternoon kick in The Music City. So with that in mind, I think it at least serves A.J. Swann and the boys to have a puncher's chance at pulling off the early-season upset in SEC East play. Vanderbilt can defeat teams.
Look. Missouri could probably end up being better than what Florida was last season and what Kentucky's offense was down the stretch. However, you get a big win like this at home if you are Vanderbilt, and maybe you have enough firepower internally to get to 6-6, go bowling and continue to build off a positive somewhat breakthrough season from the year prior. Vanderbilt could get Missouri.
This game will not make your fourth screen in the mid-afternoon window, but keep your eyes peeled.