2017 Game by Game Prediction

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HOOVER, AL--Missouri goes in front of the SEC media this morning. Not much will be expected of the Tigers, who are coming off back to back losing seasons and have gone just 3-13 in league play over that stretch. With the season just weeks away, we offer up our 2017 prediction.

If the Tigers lose this one, just cancel the season. Even good FCS teams generally struggle to compete and the Bears were just 4-7 last year. Former Tiger assistant Dave Steckel has made some nice strides, but this is not a team that should come into Columbia and push the Tigers. PREDICTION: Missouri 47, Missouri State 14

RECORD: 1-0

The argument can be made pretty easily this is the key game to Missouri's season. Last year, the Tigers lost a last-second heartbreaker to Georgia in week three and never really recovered. A win here opens up the path to a bowl game pretty clearly. A loss means Missouri is going to have to steal a couple along the way.

The Gamecocks won six games in Will Muschamp's first season using a stingy defense and an offense that did enough. They beat the Tigers 31-21 in Columbia East last season. If Missouri is going to take a significant step forward this season, this one needs to be a win. South Carolina will likely be favored, but this is a winnable game. We think the Tigers get it done. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 30, South Carolina 24

RECORD: 2-0, 1-0

Again, this is a pivotal game on Missouri's schedule. With a loss to the Boilermakers it would be very difficult to make a convincing argument the Tigers can go bowling. Purdue hasn't made a bowl game in five years and has just eight wins in the last four seasons. Jeff Brohm is a promising hire, but to expect him to get things turned around in year one is unrealistic. The Boilers were 3-9 last year with the biggest win an overtime nail-biter against Illinois. Missouri ought to win this one with relative ease. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 38, Purdue 20

RECORD: 3-0

Of the four Mizzou home games, this one is the stiffest test. The Tigers were 8-5 last year and will likely be a popular pick to be in the top two or three in the SEC West this season. The goal for Missouri should be 3-1 in the first four games. If Mizzou drops the South Carolina game, this one becomes much more important. But if the Tigers live up to our prediction, this becomes one they can afford to drop. And we think they will. FINAL SCORE: Auburn 33, Missouri 20

RECORD: 3-1, 1-1

The Wildcats have won the last two in this series and did so in dominating fashion a season ago. Again, this could be a key game for the Tigers and their postseason hopes. UK was 7-6 last season despite having a defense that wasn't much better than Missouri's. The Cats could come into this game a desperate team as their first two SEC games are at South Carolina and home against Florida. If they lose both of those, a loss to Missouri would potentially torpedo hopes for a second straight bowl game. We think Missouri's defense has improved enough that they get this one done. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 44, Kentucky 35

RECORD: 4-1, 2-1

Georgia was the team that really sunk Missouri's season a year ago. The Bulldogs didn't have a great year themselves but did beat TCU in a bowl game to finish 8-5. Kirby Smart brought in a highly regarded class in his first season and Jacob Eason showed what he's capable of last season against Missouri. As the second half of a two-game road swing, this shapes up as the toughest game on the schedule. FINAL SCORE: Georgia 30, Missouri 14

RECORD: 4-2, 2-2

This one isn't quite the Missouri State game, but if the Tigers can't win this one and get some backups some playing time while doing it, the second half of the season doesn't look promising. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 52, Idaho 21

RECORD: 5-2, 2-2

This is one that could be slippery. A road game at a lightly regarded team in October could trip some teams up. If the season up to this point goes as we've anticipated, a bowl game would be on the line. This is one we think might not be pretty, but the Tigers get it done. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 24, Connecticut 14

RECORD: 6-2, 2-2

The Gators will probably be the pick of most to win the SEC East (we're going to pick Georgia). The Tigers do get this one at home, but having clinched a bowl bid and the Gators chasing a potential division title, we see this as one that gets away. FINAL SCORE: Florida 30, Missouri 20

RECORD: 6-3, 2-3

Gone is Josh Dobbs, who had the best game of his career against Missouri in Knoxville last season. Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara are also gone, along with Derek Barnett. Butch Jones has brought in a lot of highly touted recruits, but this is going to be an important rebuilding year for the Vols. We see Tennessee having clinched a bowl bid with its sixth win the week before and we think the Tigers surprise them here. FINAL SCORE: Missouri 38, Tennessee 27

RECORD: 7-3, 3-3

We went back and forth with this one and Kentucky. We think the Tigers win one, but not both. In the end, we picked the win over the Wildcats, so we'll take the Commodores here. Missouri beat them last year, but Vandy has been going in the right direction for the last 12 months. We think the Commodores win this one to make a bowl game. FINAL SCORE: Vanderbilt 26, Missouri 24

RECORD: 7-4, 3-4

The Tigers salvaged a little something at the end of last season with a win over the Razorbacks. Arkansas likely owes them a little something. The Tigers will be favored, but Arkansas pulls the very mild upset. FINAL SCORE: Arkansas 27, Missouri 24

RECORD: 7-5, 3-5

We see the SEC getting a team in the playoff and sending a second to the Orange Bowl. The next best team is sent to the Citrus Bowl. We don't see the Tigers in the mix for any of these.

The next tier of bowls for SEC Teams includes these six games:

– AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl vs. Big 12

– AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Big 12

– Belk Bowl vs. ACC

– Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl vs. ACC or Big Ten

– Outback Bowl vs. Big Ten

– TaxSlayer Bowl vs. ACC or Big Ten

If the Tigers' season plays out the way we have predicted, we can see the league setting them up against a Big 12 team in the Liberty or the Texas Bowl. Those games are played against the third or fourth best team in the Big 12 if it doesn't get a team in the playoff. If it does, it's the fourth or fifth place team.

Let's have fun here. We'll pit Missouri against the Texas Longhorns in the Texas Bowl.