2023 Missouri Tigers: What a Season!

Being from the state of Missouri and a lifelong follower of Mizzou football you never know what year will be the Tigers make year or break year. After landing highly touted East Saint Louis recruit Luther Burden before the 2022 season and eventually going 6-7 for the year all I can remember is thinking " The Tigers better get it together this upcoming season or LB is out of there."

Man did the 2023 Mizzou Tigers make a believer out of me and the rest of the college football world! Like many others, eyebrows began to raise after the Tiger's week 3 upset of a #15th ranked Kansas State team at home. I got a firsthand look and saw them guys were serious the next week when they played Memphis in my hometown of St. Louis, MO at the dome. Going to the wire against a #23 ranked LSU Tigers team in week 6 and a #1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs team in week 10 only strengthened their case on why the Tigers deserved to be ranked, even though they would lose both games. Missouri wasn't fortunate enough to represent the East in this year's SEC title game, with a Georgia loss but they proved so many doubters wrong in 2023. If that wasn't enough, Mizzou put a stamp on their season by beating the #7 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas to complete their storybook ending in 2023 going 11-2 overall, their best record in the SEC since going 12-2 in 2013.

The Tigers weren't supposed to get this far. With unknown but hidden gems like Quarterback Brady Cook, Running Back Cody Schrader, playmakers like Wide Receivers Mookie Cooper and Luther Burden, and Defensive Lineman Kristian Williams. Mizzou found success early in the 2023 season led by up-and-coming head coach Eli Drinkwitz and never let up or folded. For someone who has always been against Mizzou joining the SEC since they made the move in 2012, they made believers out of me and other college football fans and finally showed in 2023 that they finally belonged with the big dogs. Job well done.