Every week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
Mumma4Mizzou asks: If Mizzou wins out including a bowl game do you think they would be ranked in the final rankings?
GD: I kind of doubt it. There might be one or two 8-5 teams in the rankings, but I think most will look at it and say Missouri didn't really beat anybody all that good. They'd get a few votes, but I don't think they'd sneak into the top 25.
EuroTiger asks: Is HCBO's job safe "IF" Mizzou loses out (Vandy and ARK)? Or has he done enough?
GD: Unless they just get absolutely drilled and show no fight, I think he's back regardless. And I really can't see that happening.
amhorrell asks: Ill post my question with my answer and you tell me why I’m wrong1- Who is our starting QB opening night next year? Drew Lock2- What is our starting front 4 on the D-Line?Turner, Antar Thompson, Rashad Brandon, Tre Williams3- Who is our starting WR next year? Daron Davis, Johnson, Hall4- Who are our starting DB’s? Acy, Holmes, Prewitt, Ulmer5- Will Chad Bailey, Jamal Brooks, or Aubrey Miller crack the starting Linebackers group or just be part of the rotation.6- Will Blake Harris eventually be the PG and Robertson play the 2 once Cuonzo feels comfortable in Harris’s abilities? I say n pray yes
GD: Hey, everybody, welcome to the amhorrell mailbag. It's a new weekly feature and it's FREE! But seriously,
1-Agree
2-Chris Turner, Antar Thompson, Jordan Elliott, Tre Williams
3-Agree
4-I think I'd sub Adam Sparks in for Christian Holmes
5-At least one of them cracks the rotation and probably two.
6-I think yes on No. 6. Robertson will still play some point, but I think eventually Harris is the starter, assuming the knee injury against Wagner isn't anything serious that puts him on the shelf for an extended period of tiem.
mexicojoe asks: Are the Head Football Coach openings at Tenn & Florida a positive for Mizzou?Or would you say it is better long term if Jones had remained at UT?
GD: I don't really think it matters. Let's see who they hire. Both might get a guy who turns out to be great and returns those programs to what they were 10 to 15 years ago. Both might get a guy who's awful and sinks them further than they're currently sunk. Everybody in the SEC is always trying to get better, so I just don't think it's something you can really concern yourself with too much.
ABaumli asks: Is AJ Logan the Defensive MVP? Seriously, look at the defensive performance since he got back. Competition helps, but he has been a huge addition.
GD: Ultimately no because he's only going to play six games. But the defensive shift since his return is undeniable. I will fully admit, I was one who underestimated what he would be worth, especially as it relates to Terry Beckner Jr. I also think his return happened to coincide with a place in the season where the schedule got easier (especially in terms of the offenses Missouri is facing) and, more importantly, the defense had a better grasp of things to go along with more confidence. I'm not discounting Logan's impact, but I also think it had more to do with everyone just starting to play well.
jrl3m8 asks: The Jarvis Ware commit seemed to come out of nowhere, any background on his recruitment?When is the early signing period?Why does Derek Mason seem relatively safe in Nashville?
GD: Ware came out of nowhere for us too. I know that Kenronte Walker is the guy who kind of initially found him, but this one was unexpected for certain.
The early signing period is from December 20 to 22nd.
As far as Mason, the answer is ultimately because it's Vanderbilt. He got them to a bowl last year and that carries some weight with it. This has been a bad year without question, but he ought to get another year to right the ship. If he doesn't, it's probably curtains. Plus, Vandy doesn't want to be hiring at the same time A&M, Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee are.
mizzoudad asks: An out of the jug consideration: IF, we complete an 8-5 season, from where we began to where we finish, would you vote for HCBO as COY? I believe he would deserve it, no ifs, and's, or but's, but, would he even be considered, has something like this ever been done before?? Is this really just to much of a stretch; after all, there a 'blue-bloods' to consider.. Thank you............
GD: I'd consider it, but probably wouldn't vote for him. If it was a second half of the year award, or a most improved award, I would. But it isn't. The whole season counts.
Right now, the guy I go with is probably Gus Malzahn, especially if he beats Alabama. If he loses that game, I'd strongly consider Dan Mullen at Mississippi State. Arguments can be made for Kirby Smart or Nick Saban, but neither being where he is comes as a surprise.
rmotigers asks: Which football program do you think will rebound faster, Tennessee or Florida?
GD: Obviously, a big part of it depends on who each one hires. But the easy answer (and probably the right one) is Florida. The Gators have some players. I mean, they won the SEC East the last two seasons and they were not terrible at the start of this year (they beat Kentucky and Tennessee). There's just more talent there. Plus, the Gators have been a nationally elite program much more recently than Tennessee. There's a whole lot of Nebraska in Knoxville. By that, I mean a program that probably should be happy with nine wins a season (especially considering your crossover rivalry every year is Alabama) but probably won't be.
Bjip86 asks: What returning player have you been most inpressed with? What new player have you been most impressed with? Who will be Mizzou's 6th man of the year?
GD: The returning player is Jordan Barnett. He's locked in and playing very well early. That's not a surprise. He was the best player on the team last year and he's always had high major starter talent and athleticism.
For the new guys, it has to be Jeremiah Tilmon. He's just so much more offensively skilled and athletic than I thought he was going to be. Jontay Porter will make a push for this if he puts together more games like Monday night.
The 6th man is Kevin Puryear. He's got a chance to be third on this team in scoring. Of course, this assumes Michael Porter Jr. returns (I'm confident he will). If that doesn't happen, Puryear is a starter an ineligible to be the sixth man.
TheRoyalPain asks: Your Top 3 Mizzou WRs all time?
GD: I always have to put in the caveat that I can really only use guys I saw play. I mean, most will probably say Mel Gray is deserving of a spot on this list, but I don't even remember his NFL career, much less his Missouri career. Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin are easily 1-2 on this list. It's not even a conversation. You can put them in either order you want. Maclin probably had the better career, but I think Danario actually would have been better if he could just have stayed on the field. Both were absolutely thrilling to watch. For third place, you probably go with Justin Gage. I wouldn't be opposed to putting J'Mon Moore in the discussion, but Gage was just more consistent over the course of his career (and if he'd played with Chase Daniel or Drew Lock or Blaine Gabbert, who knows how far out of reach some of the records might be)? Other guys that should deserve mention even though they played on terrible teams are Victor Bailey and Linzy Collins. In fact, after thinking about it, those two are right there for third.
mizzoufan2010 asks: Which basketball signee gets the most minutes/makes the biggest impact next year? Not that I think this injury is a long term issue yet, but is this a tournament team even without MPJ?
GD: On the signees, I've got to go with Torrence Watson. He's a top 100, big-time prospect. The other two are solid players, but I see them being more rotational guys at least for the first year or two on campus. I'm not saying Watson necessarily walks in and starts as a true freshman.
As far as your second question, yes, I think this is a tournament team even if Michael Porter Jr. plays only two minutes all season long. So I think they're good without him. But they've got a chance to be special with him. I don't think they'd go into the tournament as a real threat to do a whole lot of damage without him. But with him, everything is in play, assuming he's healthy and as good as advertised.
doylegr asks: Why is spiking the ball to kill the clock not an infraction as intentional grounding?
GD: Because you're not doing it to avoid a sack. The weird rule question I've always had is, in college, if the ball is dead when your knee goes down, how come the ball isn't dead when a place kick is snapped to a holder, whose knee is already on the ground?
boilertiger05 asks: How much concern is there right now on the coaching staff that MPJ is putting too much pressure on himself? The need to be the #1 pick. The need to sign every autograph. The need to save Missouri basketball. Anything that can be done about this?
GD: I don't think that's the case at all. If that were the case, I think he'd be out there trying to play when he shouldn't be. In the long run, if he's back by the time they go to Orlando, I think this is a good thing. It shows everyone--the current players and Porter--that they can be very good without him. This kid has lived in a bright spotlight for three years. He's used to it. And next year, when he's somebody's No. 1 pick, he's going to be expected to be the savior of a team that's probably pretty bad at a much higher level under much more scrutiny.
Graphic Edge Guy asks: Which Mizzou Runningback trio is better? This year's group of Crockett, Witter, and Rountree? Or the 2013 trio of Josey, Murphy, and Hansborough?
GD: My initial reaction is to go with Josey, Murphy and Hansbrough. First of all because they were all healthy and available. But also because I think Henry Josey is the best back I've seen at Missouri since Devin West. I think this current trio has a chance to be better by the time it's all said and done (all three will rush for more yards than Murphy and two of them have a shot to pass Josey). But right now, my gut is to go with the first group just for the single season you mentioned.
Now I'm going to look at the numbers and see if I'm right.
Witter, Rountree and Crockett have combined for 1725 yards on 278 carries and 11 touchdowns so far in ten games. That's an average of 172.5 per game and 6.2 per carry. In 2013, Josey, Murphy and Hansbrough ran for 2,452 yards and 29 touchdowns on 380 carries. That's 6.45 per carry and 175.1 per game. So the numbers are pretty similar, but slightly a nod to the 2013 guys.
Looks like I was right. Again.
mightymaryland2007 asks: Is this Mizzou team a top 25 team without MPJ?Probability Geist, Roberts, Phillips, and Harris are all here next year?Which, if any, Mizzou football player has an NFL career that fans don't see coming. (Think Sean Culkin. Most fans gave him no chance at an NFL gig).
GD: To the first one, I'd say not quite. Borderline, but not quite there.
All of them being here? Not good.
Well, if we don't see it coming, I don't know how I can see it coming. Would most people say Anthony Sherrils is an NFL player? Because he's playing like one right now and I could see it.
Jay0864 asks: If James Foster waits a month, does he decommit? I believe he did so just before the 4 game win streak. Do you think the question of "What the hell did I throw away?" has crossed his mind? Is that bridge burned between him and the coaching staff?
GD: It's a great question. Ultimately I don't know because we haven't talked to Foster in a long time. But you'd have to think if Missouri had been just a little better at the start or if he had hung on just a little longer, he stays on board. I don't think the bridge has been burned. I think they'd take him back. But I also don't think they're going to wait around for him. If they find another quarterback they like and he jumps on board, Foster won't have a spot here.
