Missouri Tigers Football Could Muddy The Championship Playoff Picture

The Missouri Tigers football team has an opportunity to toss a wrench into the machinations of the NCAA Championship Playoffs system this upcoming weekend. In the process, they could earn some elusive national respect.

For the second season in a row, the Missouri Tigers have proved they below in the mighty SEC by winning the East division, and they will appear in their second consecutive conference championship game.

After going 5-7 in their initial SEC season, and just 2-6 in conference, Missouri went  12-2 last season, including 7-1 in the SEC. Their only SEC loss came in overtime at home to South Carolina. They eventually lost to the Auburn Tigers in the championship game, and finished with a win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl.

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This season, Mizzou suffered an early bad loss at home to the Indiana Hoosiers, then two games later, dropped an ugly game at home to the Georgia Bulldogs, 34-0. Since that aberration, they have won six in a row.

Despite leading the SEC East, the Tigers haven’t earned much respect. They were an underdog at home against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team just 6-5 on the season, and 2-5 in conference. Missouri held their own, and beat Arkansas by seven points.

Now, they are in the national spotlight for sure. On Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. Central) Missouri will face the beast that is the Alabama Crimson Tide for the Sec Championship. If they lose, and especially if they don’t play well, it is doubtful the level of respect for their program nationally, or within the SEC itself, will increase.

If they win though, the Missouri Tigers can upset the best laid plans for the Championship Playoffs. If Missouri can find a way to beat the Crimson Tide, the mighty SEC could be left out of the four-team playoffs. Other games will figure in to this equation, but the SEC could not be represented.

The Florida State Seminoles, despite the seeming lack of respect for them nationally, are undefeated, and will be in, unless they lose to Georgia Tech, then all bets are off. The Oregon Ducks are in, unless they lose to Arizona.

Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) – Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Three other schools are also in play here. The Ohio State Buckeyes have to get by Wisconsin, TCU plays a terrible Iowa State team this weekend, and Baylor must take on the Kansas State Wildcats, with the winner taking home a share of the Big 12 Championship.

If Missouri beats Alabama, and if all of these other teams, all with one or less losses, win their games, the SEC will be left out of the playoffs. That would be the end all as far as the world of SEC football would be concerned.

The Tigers have been the most successful of the four teams that left the Big 12 a few years ago. Colorado didn’t win a game in the Pac-12 this season, and Nebraska has been all but irrelevant in the Big 10, firing their coach this weekend. Texas A&M has had some successes in the SEC, but not as much as Missouri.

The lack of respect given the Tigers seems to stem from they fact they have enjoyed their successes in the SEC East. Most would consider this the weaker of the two divisions over the past few years. Who they play isn’t the fault of Missouri.

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The Tigers probably would have preferred playing in the West, as it made more geographical sense, but the SEC didn’t want to break up some of their traditional rivalries. Maybe they should have thought of that before expanding.

In the East, Missouri has Florida, Georgia , South Carolina, and Tennessee to contend with – not exactly chopped liver. Yet, Missouri has prevailed two years in a row. Instead of scorning them, maybe fellow SEC schools should embrace another strong program to their midst.

Still, no one in the SEC wants Mizzou to beat Alabama in the conference championship game. That could be a nightmare for the SEC, and the championship playoffs. If the SEC is so great and powerful, how could they not be in the national championship playoffs discussion?

How could Alabama be included in the playoffs if they lose to Missouri, and have the same record as Missouri? How could the might SEC Champion be left out, and the runner-up selected? That wouldn’t work either. This situation could hasten a format change to include eight teams in the playoffs, as it should have in the first place.

Missouri has to really be regretting that loss to Indiana. Without it, an upset over Alabama would mean the Tigers would be in the playoffs, in theory.

The Missouri Tigers have done just abut everything they can to win respect, yet it seems to be withheld. If they beat the Crimson Tide, they will earn that respect nationally. The SEC won’t be happy, but Missouri will have proved everyone wrong.

Of course, if Missouri plays poorly, and loses badly, they will be in the same predicament in 2015.

Mizzou could set the college football world on its ear Saturday. Wouldn’t that be something?

Next: Tigers Are Back In The Championship Game