Some wisdom from Mizzou’s John Anderson

The following entry was written by ESPN anchor and MU alumnus John Anderson.  This was posted on his ESPN blog on August 27th, 2008.  With the start of college football this week, I thought it would be fitting to pass along to our readers.

“With the college football season kicking off this week here’s my…

*10 point college refresher course.*

Big, quiet place with all the books is the library.  Big, loud place with all the people is the football stadium.

The football stadium.

The library. (Picture from doit.missouri.edu)

Eating in the cafeteria is risking illness. Eating in the parking lot is tailgating.

Studying Sunday thru Thursday makes you smarter. Campus parties on Fridays and games on Saturdays make you more well rounded.

Cuddly looking thing with giant mascot head holding a child is the mascot.  Cuddly looking thing with giant mascot head holding #2 pencil is Lee Corso.

A game program is a course syllabus with advertising and a depth chart.

Academic departments have benefactors. Athletics departments have donors.

The hardest class to skip is the first one. The easiest class is generally offered by the geology department.

Distinguished looking 40 year old riding a bicycle is professor. Distinguished looking 40 year old driving the Cadillac Escalade is the head coach.

Co-eds will go out with you after a win if you are wearing school colors. Co-eds will not go out with you after a win if you are painted school colors.

While certainly showing their school spirit, these guys won't be getting the girls according to Anderson. (Photo from mizzouwire.missouri.edu)

When looking for co-eds transfer to Ole Miss.

You are *now* ready for class & kickoff.”

- To see this original article, visit Anderson’s blog at:

http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/ESPN_JohnAnderson/blog

-MG

Blaine Dalton dismissed from team

Blaine Dalton

Missouri freshman quarterback Blaine Dalton, 18, has officially been dismissed from the football team the University announced Monday.

In a statement released by the University, the official reason is for, “a violation of team conduct policies.”

According to Gabe DeArmond of powermizzou.com, Dalton was arrested at 1:26 a.m. Friday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.  According to Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune, Dalton failed a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer at 1:16 a.m. on Missouri’s campus.

This is not the first time the quarterback has been in trouble with the law.  On April 30th Dalton was arrested and later pleaded guilty to a charge of a minor in possession of a can of beer and two misdemeanor traffic violations.  Police also found prescription painkillers in his car, but those charges were dropped.  (To see the article on Dalton’s first arrest click here: http://missouricolumns.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/dalton-arrested/ )

Dalton, a former standout at Blue Springs South High School was competing to be the Tigers second string quarterback behind sophomore Blaine Gabbert.  In yesterday’s scrimmage however, he was outplayed by other reserve quarterbacks Jimmy Costello and Ashton Glaser.

The University and the athletic department will have no further comment on Dalton’s dismissal.

-MG

Scrimmage wrap-up

Thursday afternoon’s scrimmage concluded training camp for the 2009 Missouri Tigers.

Mizzou football’s training camp officially ended today as the Tigers played in their final scrimmage of the summer.  With camp now over, the Tigers will have Friday off before turning all of their attention toward game-planning for Illinois.  If you ask senior captain Sean Weatherspoon, however, he would confess that his mind has been focused on the opener in St. Louis for months.

“Coach may say that we don’t officially put 100-percent of our attention toward Illinois until this weekend, but trust me, I’ve been thinking about the Illini every time I step onto the field,” Weatherspoon said.  “Whenever I stare across the line of scrimmage, all I can see is orange.”

Sean Weatherspoon already has the Illinois game on his mind.

Spoon certainly looked like he was visualizing an orange-clad offense during Thursday’s scrimmage as he delivered many punishing hits with aid from his recently upgraded physique.  Spoon wasn’t the only Tiger that shined on defense, however.  Rather, the entire defensive unit coalesced brilliantly and outplayed the offense throughout the entire day.  With strong pressure up front, the defense was able to force the Missouri quarterbacks out of the pocket and into difficult throws, much to the delight of a hungry secondary.

“The [defensive line] is a great asset to our team,” sophomore safety Kenji Jackson said.  “They put pressure on the quarterback so they rush throws so we DB’s can do our job and pick him off and make big hits.”

As a result, two passes were intercepted, one by Hardy Ricks and the other by freshman Andrew Wilson.  Much of the quarterback pressure should be credited to Jacquies Smith, who had an excellent day in picking up a sack and recording multiple tackles for a loss.

Blaine Gabbert looked solid once again in the scrimmage and has proven this off-season that he has the ability to be an elite quarterback.  Even though there was a heavy pass rush on Gabbert throughout the day, he demonstrated that he has the ability to make quick decisions and use his feet when necessary.  Gabbert showed off his 4.5 speed with a number of scurries around the hashes.  He rushed 5 times for 15 yards in the scrimmage.  While he never broke a tremendously long run, he did an excellent job of evading defenders in the backfield and gaining enough yards to pick up first downs.

“Running with the ball is not something that I’m going to force too often,” Gabbert said. “But, whenever I find seams and do not see exactly what I want in coverage, then I am definitely going to try to pick up some yards on the ground.”

Mizzou’s receivers are talented and speedy enough to get open in just about any coverage, but if they aren’t open, Gabbert running should be a present danger on offense.

Missouri certainly has some work to do in preparation for Illinois, but overall, the mood after the scrimmage was positive.

“Overall, really good things out there,” Gary Pinkel said.

Notes

• When asked which young player impressed him most this off-season, senior wide receiver Danario Alexander said that De’Vion Moore really played well.  Moore, who is the No.2 running back behind Derrick Washington, won the most improved offensive player award in the spring and will have a major role in both the air and ground attack this season.

• Blaine Dalton, who has been in the running to be the No. 2 quarterback, played terribly in the final scrimmage.  Dalton looked flustered in each of his series and finished 5-15 for 18 yards with an interception.  Jimmy Costello seems to have solidified himself as Blaine Gabbert’s backup.
  

  Linebacker Will Ebner was shaken up during the scrimmage.

• RS Freshman defensive end Aldon Smith, who was mentioned as being “unblockable” this spring, took around five reps as a defensive tackle during the scrimmage.  This could be a sign that the Tiger coaching staff is experimenting with innovative ways to get Smith on the field as much as possible, especially on passing downs.  Opposing offenses should be concerned if the Tigers are finding alternative methods to bolster their already stout defensive line.

• The Missouri punting controversy seemed to have cleared up a little during the scrimmage.  Sophomore Matt Grabner outperformed senior Jake Harry during the practice as each one took reps kicking the football during punting situations.  While most of Harry’s punts were low and spun awkwardly, Grabner’s boots consistently hit the roof inside Dan Divine Pavilion.

• True freshman receivers T.J. Moe and L’Damian Washington were on the field quite a bit throughout the day.  Still no word on whether they will see the field this season.  I’d put money on the fact that Moe sees time this year.

• Sophomore tackle Dan Hoch was held out of the scrimmage while still nursing his knee injury.  However, he moved well while working one-on-one with a coach on the sideline.

• Linebacker Will Ebner was temporarily shaken up during the scrimmage, but has suffered no major injury.

-PF

Pinkel and co. wrap up training camp

The players weren't the only ones practicing Thursday. Gary Pinkel warmed up for the season by discussing a play with the scrimmage's officials.

“We have to get better and we have to get better fast.  We have seven days to fix things.”

– Coach Gary Pinkel

The Columns will have a full report from Thursday’s scrimmage up shortly.

-MG

And the scoreboard is up… and it’s good UPDATED 9/4

Notice the addition of the new speakers at the top.

I know this doesn't include the new board, but I just thought it was a cool picture of the stadium. Looking forward to packing that place in a week.

Pictures really don’t do it justice, the thing looks even larger in person.

Below are pictures I took of the new scoreboard currently being installed at Faurot Field.  These were taken August 20th.  Since then, the screen panels have all been installed.

Some quick facts about the new scoreboard:

Cost: $3.8 million

Size: 30 feet high, 80 feet wide (roughly 3 1/2 times larger than the previous one)

Developer: Daktronics

Technology: HD-X screen with state-of-the-art LED displays

Previous Scoreboard: Diamond Vision scoreboard constructed prior to the 1997 season.  MU cited antiquated technology, customer complaints, and rising maintenance costs as the reason for replacing the board.

Misc: A new sound system will also be installed at Faurot Field

Part of a $5 million project between MU and Daktronics that will include new scoreboards at MU’s baseball and soccer stadiums.

Expected to be finished before MU’s home opener vs. Bowling Green (9/12/09)

Here's the view you see as you approach the stadium from on campus. Obviously this scoreboard stands out a little more than the old one.

-MG

Weatherspoon adds weight, expectations in 2009

Sean Weatherspoon and Missouri look to hold off media favorites Nebraska and Kansas to win a third straight Big 12 North title.

This year’s Missouri Tigers football team is full of question marks.  How will Blaine Gabbert do in his first year as a starter?  Can the defense rebound from a disappointing 2008 campaign?  Do the Tigers have a true number one receiver in Danario Alexander?  What changes will occur after losing both Dave Christensen and Matt Eberflus?

However, amid all the questions and speculation, Missouri fans can count on at least one truth heading into the season: The Tigers have one of the best  linebackers in the nation.  But just how good is Sean Weatherspoon?

His list of accomplishments is long.  Among them are 2007 All Big 12 honors, 2008 All-American honors, 2009 preseason All-American honors, and the chance to leave Missouri as the school’s all time leading tackler.  After racking up a team-leading 155 tackles in 2008 one might think Weatherspoon would want to keep himself as exactly as he was a season ago.  But Weatherspoon has added 12 lbs. this off-season and now weighs in at 250 lbs.

“I feel great playing at that weight,” Weatherspoon said in an interview with ESPN.com’s Tim Griffin.  The added weight isn’t slowing him down either.  He still runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds; the same speed he ran when he weighed 235 lbs. a year ago.

"Spoon" hopes added weight will help him deliver bigger hits, such as this one against Buffalo last fall. (Photo courtesy of missouri.edu)

“I can still run. I could run at 235 just like I did at 215,” he said. “And now at 250, I’m still running with cornerbacks and racing against those backs. And the good thing is that if you put on more pounds, you can bring more thump when you hit.”

Hitting is exactly what the man everyone calls “Spoon” plans to do this year.  Currently, Weatherspoon sits at 14^th on Missouri’s all-time career tackles list with 302.  James Kinney who recorded 434 career tackles between 2001-2004 currently holds the school record.  If Weatherspoon has a year even close to his 2008 season, he should walk away as the school record holder.  But while records are nice, Weatherspoon is not all about individual accomplishments.

“We have this thing called the law of the big picture. The big picture has nothing to do with one’s own agenda. I gotta put my agenda to the side and focus on what the team is all about,” Weatherspoon said in a recent interview with KOMU’s Eric Blumberg.

If you ask “media experts,” Missouri’s ‘big picture’ this season is not pretty.  Mizzou has been given virtually no respect this offseason.  At best, they have been picked to finish second in the Big 12 North.  In some publications, the Tigers have been picked to finish as poorly as fifth in the North.  Earlier this year, ESPN’s Andre Ware dogged Mizzou perhaps worse than anyone when he said, “It’s hard to find five wins for Missouri this year.”

That means Ware thinks Missouri will win four games this season.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a little more optimistic than that.  And more importantly, so is Sean Weatherspoon and the rest of the Tigers.  If things go according to planned, not only will Mizzou prove doubters like Ware wrong, but Weatherspoon will also improve his draft stock while he’s at it.

Weatherspoon had three interceptions in 2008 en route to being named an All-American. (Photo by Cat Szalkowski, Columbia Missourian).

Despite a 2008 season in which Weatherspoon led the Big 12 in tackles per game (11.07 per game), was named a 2^nd team All-American, recorded 155 tackles, three interceptions, 7 pass break ups, and scored two touchdowns, he was still projected as only a third round NFL draft pick.  Weatherspoon wants to prove doubters wrong and that has motivated him to return to Missouri for his senior season.

“Let’s come back and prove them wrong.  Let’s win the Butkus [award],” Weatherspoon said.

In his effort to prove his individual doubters wrong, Weatherspoon has added weight, added motivation, and plans to prove Mizzou’s doubters wrong in the process.

Only time will tell who is right about the Tiger’s team this year, but one thing we know is true.  Weatherspoon is the greatest linebacker in Missouri history and Tiger fans should be happy ‘Spoon’ is back for his senior season.

-MG

Mizzou’s Cushy Non-Conference Schedule in Need of Readjustment

In this BCS era of college football, in which voters across the country nonsensically scrutinize every aspect of every game, effective scheduling has become paramount.  Essentially, a good schedule, which includes a balanced distribution between formidable and weaker opponents, and a good team can forge a premiere postseason bowl game.  Conversely, disaster may strike if a strong team picks up an inopportune loss and does not have the schedule strength to drive themselves out of a hole.  Since a team cannot decide which conference it is in or which opponents it plays from its conference, non-conference scheduling has become pivotal.  At the core of non-conference scheduling lies a paradox that all athletic directors and coaches must face: Should we sacrifice our strength of schedule to guarantee ourselves more wins? or Should we schedule a big-time opponent in hopes of a victory that will launch us up the rankings?

When looking at Missouri’s 2009 schedule, it is obvious that Gary Pinkel and Co. stuck to the conservative end of this paradoxical spectrum.  This season, Missouri will take on Illinois, in their annual Arch Rivalry showdown, Bowling Green, Furman, and Nevada before beginning their Big 12 slate….. wait, did I just list Furman??!!!  That’s right folks, Furman.  The purple and white clad Furman Paladins of the Football Championship Subdivision’s Southern Conference will be making millions from the ignominy at Faurot.

Some say there is no football quite like Furman football. Mizzou will find out shortly.

While I am happy that the Tigers should be locking up three surefire wins following the Illinois game in St. Louis, I would be lying if I said I was not displeased with the weakness of Missouri’s non-conference schedule.  After doing some research, it came to my attention that the soft-scheduling strategy has been accustom of Mizzou for years.  Since 2002, Missouri has gone 23-3 in non-conference games.  Meanwhile, their non-conference opponents have combined to go 130-183 over the past seven seasons.  This number is already pitiful, but it’s made even worse if you consider how inflated the win totals are from the opponents playing in poor conferences.  The only notable opponents from the era have been: Bowling Green, who defeated Missouri in 2002 en route to a 9-3 season under Urban Meyer; Ole Miss, who has the name-recognition, but went 4-8 & 3-9 in the two seasons that Mizzou faced them; and Illinois, who landed in the Rose Bowl in 2007 but failed to qualify for a bowl last season.  If these are the only three teams that are remotely eye-catching (and they just barely caught my attention), then it can be confirmed from Mizzou’s scheduling pedigree that the Tiger coaching staff is risk-averse.  There are a couple of reasons why athletic director Mike Alden and the rest of the Missouri staff may be timid when making phone calls to other BCS conference teams.

First, the Tigers play in a major conference and generally have a fairly tough schedule once Big 12 play begins.  This season, Mizzou will play Texas and Nebraska at home and travel to Stillwater to play Oklahoma State.  In addition to these momentous clashes, Mizzou will also play solid Baylor and Kansas squads.  While the Tigers certainly have their share of key Big 12 games this year, they have not always had to play against top competition in the Big 12.  I may offend some with these next remarks, but I’m gonna throw them out there anyway.  The Big 12 North is simply not that good right now and has not been even close in comparison to the South for quite some time.  Mizzou’s staff may feel a false sense of security because they play in the second best overall conference in the country.  However, they need to realize that the computers do not care what conference you are in; they just care about the teams you play, and North foes are not too intimidating.  Also, voters realize that the North is much weaker than the South so they may skew their votes away from teams in the Big 12’s “other division.”  Therefore, since Mizzou cannot count on playing top-notch competition in the North every year, it seems necessary that they start scheduling a little bit tougher out of conference if they want to fully contend for a BCS birth.

Is Mike Alden getting ready to schedule another game against a girls' team? Oh no, not again!

A second reason why Mizzou has not been scheduling major out of conference games is because Tiger fans generally do not travel incredibly well.  Sure, Mizzou fans make the trek to St. Louis for the Arch Rivalry and Kansas City for the KU game, but can the majority of Tiger fans honestly claim that they would travel to Tallahassee for a game with Florida State?  Probably not.

This season, Georgia is playing a brutal non-conference schedule in addition to their SEC slate.  The Bulldogs will be playing at Oklahoma State in their season opener, and mix in games with Arizona State and Georgia Tech during the season.  The reason behind the madness?  To give Georgia’s polished fan base a chance to travel to places they hadn’t been for decades and to get Georgia’s name out to places that aren’t as familiar with the silver britches.  SEC commissioner Mike Slive is currently advocating for teams in his conference to schedule “quality” opponents for out of conference home-and-home series. “The fans love it and the fact is it also gives us a valuable TV game when we have the home side of that game,” Slive said.  Right now, Mizzou is a program on the rise, so they could benefit largely from the TV ratings and recognition that come from big games.  While Georgia may have gone too far with scheduling “quality” opponents this season, I like their approach and wish Mizzou would dive into something similar in the future.  Ultimately, the fans can make a major impact on the scheduling process.  If Mizzou fans prove that they are willing to make long journeys to see exciting games, then the Missouri staff may be more willing to bend their current philosophy.

Georgia fans are going to have a bunch of exciting games to see this year.

While I understand that games against teams like Furman can be used as early season tune-ups, I think it is shameful that major BCS conference teams schedule I-AA opponents.  There are other ways to pick up a fairly easy win that are not so disheartening for fans.  I think Missouri had the right approach in 2006-2007 when they scheduled a home-and-home with Ole Miss.  Although Mississippi was not a great team in the two years when the Tigers played them, they play in the nation’s best conference and certainly provide name-recognition.  I will be satisfied when Missouri starts scheduling at least two teams from BCS conferences for their four non-conference games every year.  I’m not saying that Mizzou needs to schedule the elite from these conferences, but at least teams that are competitive and have a chance at making a bowl game, like Vanderbilt or Minnesota, for example.  Then, every few years schedule a game against an elite opponent that will really get fans in Columbia excited, like against Virginia Tech or Alabama.  In addition to all previous remarks, games against more legitimate opponents will make your team’s intangibles stronger and more prepared to handle tight situations.  Scrimmages with Furman will not.

-PRF

Mailbag!

Mizzou basketball player serving as a bar’s bouncer?  Indiana added to the schedule?  Illinois-Mizzou predictions?  All your questions answered in our first ever mailbag.

Alright so everyone’s doing it.  PTI, Bill Simmons, Powermizzou, they all do mailbags.  So we thought, why not do one of our own?  We’ve slowly gathered enough questions to put together a solid article, so without further ado, here is our first edition of The Columns mailbag:

Everyone else does a mailbag. Why not us? (Graphic courtesy of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption)

Joe from Jeff City writes: I heard Kim English is a bouncer at a bar in Columbia.  Would you let him do this job if you’re HCMA?

TW:

The word is that he isn’t a bouncer, basically all he does is stand at the door and check IDs.  It’s a pretty harmless gig if you ask me, it’s not like Kimmie’s inside where he’d be in danger of getting caught in the middle of the a fight. If I’m HCMA it really isn’t an issue for me.  Initially it might sound bad but it’s not such a big deal. Shiloh is generally an older, less rowdy and less crowded bar anyway.

MG:

Tom said it well.  Kimmie works there, but he’s not a bouncer. When I communicated with Kimmie about the job, he made it crystal clear that he is definitely not a bouncer.  He downplayed the situation and refused to answer any further questions on his employment.  If I’m HCMA, I think I realize that Kimmie’s got a good enough head on his shoulders that he won’t get into any trouble.  So he wants to make a few bucks – big deal.  It is pretty funny though that in just two years, Mizzou basketball players have gone from the ones in the bar fights to the ones that may potentially break them up.

Where were the bouncers the night of Stefhon Hannah and company's infamous fight?

Bryan W. writes: Missouri replaced Illinois with Indiana on the schedule.  I think that is a pretty weak replacement.  Who would you have liked to replaced Indiana?

TW:

I’m ok with Indiana. It’s a BCS conference school and I like that it’s within reasonable driving distance for Tiger fans to make the trip when we play there.  Also, given the current trends, it pretty much should be a guaranteed W every year. Other schools that would have been ok with me; Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee, Notre Dame (maybe) Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Cincinnati. Really any school within reasonable travel distance I like. Take your pick on level of difficulty, but Missouri is never one to go after the big non-conference games. I think Arkansas or Wisconsin would have to be my two favorites after looking at those schools, but that’s just me.

MG:

I have to disagree with Tom here.  Missouri’s non-conference schedule even including Illinois is about as exciting as a WNBA dunk contest. Take away Illinois and replace them with Indiana, a team that is 27-56 since 2002 including an 11-45 record against the Big Ten, and it’s like removing Candace Parker from said dunk contest.  Mike Alden insists on a policy of scheduling a non-conference schedule comprised of one BCS conference school, one team from FCS, and two mid-major opponents.  Frankly, I think it’s time for a change. I’m not saying we should be scheduling Ohio State or USC, but let’s at least get some BCS conference opponents in here that Missouri can beat.  Seriously, how do you expect to excite your fan base with home games like Furman?  I’m fine with Indiana as a second or third non-conference opponent, but not the marquis match-up.  In 2007 when Mizzou played Illinois and Ole Miss in non-conference, that was a respectable schedule.  I want to see some opponents people have heard of.  Indiana is a guaranteed win and while that is nice, I think Missouri could have challenged themselves a bit more.  Teams I would have rather seen: Minnesota (ok so I’m a homer), Iowa, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Arizona, Louisville, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Oregon State, TCU (I realize they’re not BCS, but they’re good and they’re in a good recruiting territory), Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Indiana as our big game? What a snoozer.

Kenneth from KC writes: Is their any truth to the rumor that KU’s Dezmon Briscoe might be ruled ineligible this season?

TW:

I have no knowledge on the situation beyond the rumors I’ve heard just like you. I can offer you this link to a Topeka, Kansas newspaper that has some more info. I’d bet you see him on Saturdays this fall, there is no way a school like KU, who seems to always find ways to keep athletes eligible, does not have him on the field.

http://www.cjonline.com/sports/football/2009-07-26/kus_briscoe_day_to_day

ESPN offered this from Mangino at Big 12 Media Day regarding Briscoe:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-11-113/Mangino-expects-Briscoe-to-be-ready-when-KU-practice-starts.html

MG:

It’s KU, he’s a star.  He’s not going to miss a thing.

GoTigers writes: In your opinion why was Leo not drafted?

TW:

He wasn’t a first round talent, and once it gets to the second round it is more of a particular team really liking a particular guy.  Leo might have been second or third on those teams list, but with only two or three picks per team he was a casualty. His inconsistent play certainly didn’t help him at all. With strong summer play he will certainly latch on somewhere with the loads of talent he has. Is there anyone that wouldn’t like a 6’9 guy with range and a nice scoring touch. Hopefully he can improve his defense and post moves this summer.

MG:

It had to have been his inconsistency.  You look at some of the players drafted ahead of him – guys like Taylor Griffin and Chinemelu Elonu – they weren’t necessarily more talented, but they were more consistent performers.  In the second round you would think a team might go for a guy like Leo with such a large upside.  However, like Mike Anderson said following the draft, it’s better for Lyons to go undrafted and choose his own team with whom to tryout, than to be picked up in the late 50’s.  However, none of this really matters because in the time since this question was sent to us, Leo has signed with a professional team in Israel.

Israel couldn't have been Leo's first choice. But hey, he's still getting paid.

Matt writes: What’s your prediction on the Mizzou Illinois game?  Will Mizzou be the favorite again?

TW:

Prediction? Do we want a score? It might be a little early for that not seeing or hearing a thing about two-a-days. I’ll predict we’ll see strong performances from Derrick Washington and Sean Weatherspoon. I predict strong defensive end play, and flashes of tremendous upside and ability, but the mistakes and growing pains of a young team.  Will Mizzou be favored? I’m going to say no.  In terms of talent I think Missouri pretty close and Mizzou probably has the edge, but the Tigers lost a starting QB some wide outs that some would say were pretty good, and a lot of talent on defense. Illinois returns a starting QB and a hell of a wide receiver in Arelious Benn. Illinois will be favored, however I’ll take Missouri 34-27.

MG:

Illinois should be favored.  As we’ve seen, Missouri is getting absolutely no love from media members outside of Columbia.  That combined with the question marks that we’re all aware of already, will have everyone talking about how this is finally Illinois’ year.  However, I see this game going the way of the most recent Mizzou-Illinois basketball game.  People were talking about how this was Missouri’s year to win the Busch Braggin’ Rights game yet it just didn’t happen.  There seems to be something about this rivalry in football where Missouri just has Illinois number.  I’m not ready to go on record with a full prediction (that will definitely come later), but if Mizzou wins, that would set the stage for a season that will surprise many.  If they were to get blown out, lookout, the young team could lose confidence quickly.

When talking Mizzou-Illinois football, is there a cooler picture to include than this one? I don't think so. Unfortunately Tommy didn't come down with this pass. (Photo by Parker Eshelman, Columbia Daily Tribune).

Columns – Mizzou football already has landed two 4* recruits after getting none last year.  What do you think is the difference in recruiting so far?

TW:

Part of the difference is that this is a small class so guys want to join in sooner, rather than winding up on the outside looking in.  I think another big thing was proving 2007 was no fluke by adding 10 more wins and another North Championship in 2008. Kids want to win and the Tigers proved they can do a lot of that. Also, April’s draft further helped Mizzou considering they had six kids drafted – two first rounders – and more guys drafted than the other 5 teams in the north combined. Every recruit’s dream is to end up in the NFL and the Tigers are proving they can put players on pro rosters.

MG:

Tom is definitely our recruiting expert, but I feel obligated to throw my two cents in on this one.  The addition of former LSU recruiter Josh Henson, combined with the fact that Missouri has won 30 games in the past three seasons is why I believe there is an upswing in recruiting.  Just this past week I received an email from a reader in Georgia who says he knows two D1 prospects and he wants them to get them in touch with Mizzou.  He asked me how he could get these players he knows on Mizzou’s recruiting radar.  That’s just one example, but I think it shows how Missouri’s recent success has helped its exposure, and now it may start to pay dividends on the recruiting trail.  According to the emailer, one of “his guys” just gave a verbal commitment to Georgia Tech, so maybe he really does know what he’s talking about.

Big Jeff writes: Will Missouri’s fb recruiting continue at this pace or should we get back to expecting the rest of our recruits to be 3 and 2* guys?

TW:

To be honest it’s realistic to expect that the majority of Missouri’s classes will be 3 stars, hopefully higher rated three star guys though.  Gary Pinkel consistently talks about how stars mean nothing to him.  That’s more something fans worry about.  Look at Sean Weatherspoon – he was a two star recruit according to rivals.  Now he could become the greatest defensive player in school history. Coaches don’t base offers on stars so I think you’ll always see a few two star guys. If we can win 8 games this year it is certainly fair to think that you’ll see Mizzou getting more visits and more top 5’s and top 3’s for higher level guys and hopefully a couple commitments.

Are there any guys on the recruiting radar that you consider “must gets” in this class?  If so why?

TW:

I addressed this back in April with this article,   http://missouricolumns.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/replacing-playmakers-inside-mizzou-football-recruiting/

I’ll provide a follow up on recruiting before the season kicks off.

Scott S. writes: In your opinion how much of a difference are the new coordinators going to make in Mizzou’s play?  Should they expect to be better or worse because of this?

TW:

I think offensively less trick plays and more of a commitment to the running game, which is dictated by our skill positions but also by Dave Christensen’s mad scientist mentality and unwillingness to run the ball if the Tigers were ever down. I think eventually we are better because of it, but it is hard to say because the proven skill players are playing on Sundays now. Defense we can only go up right? The players all have great things to say about new coordinator Coach Stec, lot of young talent with great potential but we won’t know much until camp and then the real games start.  A lot of defensive players last year said that Steckel’s schemes and game plans were too complicated.  That led to many defensive lapses (think: Juice Williams lighting up the secondary).  Steckel’s defense should be less complex and hopefully lead to better results.

Due to the sheer volume of questions… oh wait, that’s powermizzou’s line.  Honestly though we would like to thank everyone who sent in questions.  Please feel free to email/twitter/comment/facebook questions for us.  We look forward to providing more mailbag articles in the future.

-MG (Although all questions were also answered by the great football mind Tom Weyerich)

Football recruiting update

It’s still early, but here’s a look at how the 2010 recruiting class is shaping up.

UPDATED 6 PM With New ESPN Rankings

For those who follow recruiting but don’t shell out the big bucks for sites like rivals, this is for you.  Our boy Tom Weyerich, whose prior claim to fame included having a locker next to Jeremy Maclin, compiled a list of all of Missouri football’s current verbal commits along with their rankings on rivals, scout and ESPN.  An early look tells me that Tiger fans may get used to hearing “Franklin to Hunt,” in the future.  However, considering these kids are yet to start their senior year of high school, I’ll hold off on reaching any conclusions.

One other highlight you’ll notice is that this class includes some big boys along the offensive and defensive lines.  In no other area was Mizzou dominated more by OU in recent years than along the lines.  Looks like Gary Pinkel and co. are out to change that.

1. QB James Franklin

6’3 218 Lake Dallas Texas

Rivals Ranking:  5.8 Rivals Rank  ****  Position Rank: 7th

Scout: *** Position Rank: 33rd

ESPN: Grade: 76 *** Position Rank 61st

QB James Franklin: Is this the future face of Missouri football?

2. WR Jimmie Hunt

6’1 190 Cahokia Illinois

Rivals: 5.8 RR **** Position Rank 41^st

Scout: *** Position Rank: 52^nd

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Evaluated

3. OL Anthony Gatti

6’6 280 St Louis Missouri

Rivals: 5.7 RR *** Position Rank: 43^rd

Scout: *** Position Rank 74^th

ESPN: 74 ** Position Rank 100th

4. DE/DT Lucas Vincent

6’3 265 Olathe Kansas

Rivals 5.7 RR *** Position Rank 26^th (DE)

Scout: *** Position Rank 30 (DT)

ESPN: 78 *** Position Rank 40th (DT)

5. LB Jared Parham

6’2 220 Coppel Texas

Rivals 5.6 RR *** Position Rank 62^nd

Scout: ** Position Rank NR

ESPN: 77 *** Position Rank 21st (ILB)

6. ATH/RB Greg White

6’2 215 De Queen Arkansas

Rivals 5.5 RR *** Position Rank NR

Scout: * Not Yet Evaluated

ESPN: 77 *** Position Rank 35th (RB)

7. OL Mitch Morse

6’6 285 Austin Texas

Rivals: Not Yet Ranked

Scout: *** Position Rank 77

ESPN: 80 **** Position Rank 20th (OT)

8. CB Xavier Smith

5’11 185 Edmond Oklahoma

Rivals: 5.5 RR *** Position Rank NR

Scout: * Not Evaluated

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Rated

9. CB E.J. Gaines

5’11 170 Independence Missouri

Rivals: 5.5 RR ***

Scout: * Not Evaluated

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Rated

10. CB Tristian Holt

6’0 183 Gilmer Texas

Rivals: Not Yet Ranked

Scout: *** Position Rank 69

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Rated

11. Safety Braylon Webb

6’2 180 Gilmer Texas

Rivals: Not Yet Ranked

Scout: * Not Evaluated

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Rated

12. Guard Jacob Jenkins

6’3 260 Gilmer Texas

Rivals: Not Yet Ranked

Scout: * Not Evaluated

ESPN: 40 Not Yet Rated

Tell us what you think

Time for a little reader interaction:

We're all about pleasing you, the fans, here at The Columns.

I posted this yesterday, but due to some technical difficulties I had to take it down.  It should work this time around…

As the Missouri football team prepares for a season in which they will have a lot of changes from last year, The Columns is also preparing for a big change of our own.  As great as wordpress.com has been to us, we will be taking our blog to its own independent website in the near future.  As we work on our design for this site, we would love to hear your comments.  After all, it’s you the reader we are trying to please.  In the pictures below are different template ideas our web designer has created.  Please comment and tell us which one you like the most.  Of course, this is just the planning phase and changes could be made to each template.  Love them all?  Find them all hideous?  Be honest, we won’t be offended.

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Template 1

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Template 2

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Template 3

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Don’t want to waste your time registering for a wordpress username? I don’t blame you. Hit up our email or message us on twitter.  Anything works.

-MG