Each Wednesday, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond will answer questions from subscribers in our Tiger Mailbag. This feature will allow for longer, more in-depth answers than you may get on the message board on a daily basis. To have your question in next week's mailbag, send an email to Gabe at powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries:

Jay0864 asks: What have you noticed this year with how much of a toll pressure has taken on Mizzou's coaches and players like JF, Sheldon, and DGB?  With certain oft-repeated quotes and injuries, how much does the pressure cooker get turned up?  How much of increased pressure / heat are they feeling with the competition changes as well as expectations from fans and, maybe more importantly, donors?  Are we seeing effects of this reflected in how the coaches have prepared / play-calling (more reserved, less risk taking) and players have performed overall?

GD: I certainly haven't noticed anything with Sheldon. He's the same guy he's always been. As for DGB, I don't know him well enough to know. Franklin has been different the last few weeks. Whether it is due to pressure or whatever, I have no idea. I think the pressure has certainly been ratcheted up this year. Whether that has impacted job performance, etc, that wouldn't really be fair of me even to guess.

tommyjay25 asks: Take Mizzou's best team under Pinkel (IMO the Cotton Bowl championship year), and have that squad be the first to enter the SEC, playing this year's schedule: Going through game-by-game, how do the '07 Tigers fare against a '12 SEC schedule?

GD: I've had this discussion a few times. I think that team probably still loses to Alabama, but I'd favor them in every other game.

thepatman02 asks: Assuming Dixon is out for an extended period of time, how much does that hurt?

GD: He's the best offensive player Missouri has. It hurts, no doubt. I think we saw last night that this team doesn't necessarily have guys right now that can go get their own offense like Dixon can. They could use his offense. Now, that doesn't mean they can't improve or adjust, but make no mistake that the Tigers would be better with Dixon in the rotation right now.

doya asks: IF jankovic and/or NWC continue to play so well. When Dixon and Brown are eligible what happens to the frosh ? Does Criswell get fewer minutes ? Bell get fewer ? You can't, realistically play 11 guys.

GD: Well, Brown and Dixon will play. NWC, Jankovic, Bell and Criswell could all see minutes impacted. Rosburg will become a mop-up guy I think. But there's no doubt that Dixon and Brown are the first two guys off the bench when they're back.

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