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2017 Tiger Mailbag: 45th Edition

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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.

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JAGSports asks:  When should we expect Odom to get a raise and Extension? Not talking $5 mil/yr with a large buyout but one that shows recruits that the AD is confident.

GD: If I'm Odom, I go to Jim Sterk and say, "I've got three years left on my contract. I need at least four and preferably five." And if I'm Sterk, I say, "I'm good with that. We'll extend it two years. But the salary remains the same because 11-13 still isn't worth a raise." I think that's ideal for everyone. He can tell recruits he is going to be here for his entire career, but it doesn't increase the financial responsibility to the school if he tanks and goes 4-8 again next year. I'm not positive that will happen...but if he wins one or two more games, I think it will.

bson24 asks: 1. What happened to Jordan Ulmer? He was talked about in fall camp starts the first game then joins the witness protection program.2. If Lock does leave have you heard about how the coaches feel about Wilson and Powell? Are they going to be ready?3. How good do you think Albert O can be? The guy is an absolute monster how did so many programs miss on him?4. I looked the other night and it appears outside of the olineman, qb, and Caleb Sampson that all of this years freshman are getting some PT. Does that say to you that the Staff talent evaluation is pretty spot on?5. You get to pick a realistic bowl and realistic opponent what are your picks?

Albert Okwuegbunam
Albert Okwuegbunam (Jordan Kodner)

GD: 1. Ulmer got thrown in before he was ready. They realized it and rectified it. It's unfortunate in that it cost him a year of eligibility, but it happens. They still like his future.

2. I think if Lock leaves you'll see Missouri look for a graduate transfer QB. Micah Wilson is second in line right now, and I think Mizzou could go with him and/or Taylor Powell, but I think you'd see them chase a one-year bridge guy. And that's even if they sign James Foster or another high school QB.

3. I think he can be the best tight end to ever play here and I include Kellen Winslow in that because I've always said while Winslow went on to be great, I don't know that he was a superstar in college. Don't get me wrong, he was really good, but the game was different and his numbers simply weren't what some of the more recent tight ends have been. I think Albert O can be better than Rucker/Coffman/Egnew by the time he's done.

4. It says two things: One, they needed a lot of immediate help. Two, they found some guys that are good players regardless of what Rivals says.

5. For selfish travel reasons I'd like to see the Liberty Bowl and playing Kansas State or Iowa State would be fine. But from a pure entertainment value standpoint, I'd go with the Texas Bowl against the Longhorns. And I actually think it's pretty likely because A&M was just there last year, the fans aren't going to be excited for any bowl game because they're probably going to have an interim coach and Texas doesn't want to play the Aggies anyway.

Fort80 asks:  This might have already been discussed but what are the thoughts on how the open football assistant position will be filled? DC or LB coach or ? With all of the staff shuffling going on I'd think some current SEC assistants will be available.

GD: My guess is that Odom promotes Ryan Walters to full-time DC and then hires a linebackers or secondary coach. Then if they get the 10th assistant, they add a full-time special teams guy.

BradN11 asks:  Theoretically (and only that)...let’s say the worst happens and MP Jr doesn’t play another minute in a tiger uniformWhat would our readjusted perception of this team be? Make the tournament?

GD: A week ago, I'd have said yes. As of today, I'd have a tough time seeing it as a tournament team. That would still be the goal, I'm just not sure whether it would be a realistic one.

TheRoyalPain asks: Give me your Top 5 Mizzou QBs all time

GD: 1. Chase Daniel

2. Brad Smith

3. Phil Bradley

4. Blaine Gabbert

5. Corby Jones

Drew Lock can certainly get into this group next year. And maybe Paul Christman should be here, but I'm not going to pretend to know much of anything about him.

Drew Lock
Drew Lock (Jordan Kodner)

GowerTiger asks: What is the reason behind silent commits? Is it usually the player wants to keep it silent or the coaches? Or is it a case by case basis?

GD: Depends on the kid. In some cases, the kid wants to reserve a spot, but doesn't want to make it public, which always indicates to me he's got one foot in the pool, but he's still looking around. In some cases, the staff may want to keep it quiet for a couple reasons. One, they might not want to scare off another kid they're recruiting at the position. Two, they might not want other schools to discover a kid who is being underrecruited.

UCMTiger asks: Part of what made GP so successful is his ability to keep assistant coaches. In order, would you rank the most important to least important coaches for Odom to secure for 2018 in your opinion?

GD: Oh, I don't really know. I'd put Josh Heupel number one simply because I don't think you want Drew Lock having a third OC in four years (and I think Heupel leaving would nudge Lock closer to the NFL). Based on what I've seen on the field, I think Glen Elarbee is a guy you need to make every effort to keep. But I don't think there's anyone who you classify as irreplaceable.

Mokane asks:  What do you think are the key things Odom learned from Pinkel?

GD: I think the most important thing was something that Gary said he learned from Don James: Be yourself. And when it goes poorly--and it will--double down on that. You have to be true to you and run your program, not bend to public and media pressure. Trying to please those groups won't get you anywhere. More than anything, that's what Odom's "turnaround" speech told me. Odom believed in what he was doing even when nobody else did. Then he got his players to believe in it.

The second thing, I think, is that the off-field, behind-the-scenes stuff (relationships, chemistry, etc) is every bit as important as the on-field stuff.

Finally, I'd say he learned some of what is unique about coaching at Missouri. Find players, wherever they come from. Work harder in evaluation. This isn't a school you can go down the list of the top 250 players in the country and get very many of them--or really any of them if there's not a prior relationship or a geographic reason for them to look at Missouri.

TigerinCincy asks: 1. If Lock goes, Heupel moves on... True/False?2. Will Walters be the new DC? If not, where does Odom go to get a DC that is happy not really being a DC?3. After the bad loss to Utah, how do you think CM gets the team's head back in the game for the road trip to Orlando? Without MPJr, do you see think Mizzou gets to the championship game of the Advocare Invitational?

GD: 1. Depends on the opportunities he has, but it makes it more likely.

2. Yes, I think so.

3. I think their heads are in the game. They just haven't played very well for a couple nights. Without Porter, I think they can still make the finals. It's not a slam dunk, but it's doable. Even if they don't, anything less than 2-1 would be very disappointing, no matter who is on the floor.

mexicojoe asks: Your best fit as coach at?FloridaTennArkOle MissNebraska?

GD: Florida--Chip Kelly

Tennessee--Justin Fuente (don't think it will happen so Dan Mullen)

Arkansas--Mike Norvell

Ole Miss--Stay with Matt Luke for a couple years. He's done a decent job

Nebraska--Scott Frost from their perspective, but I wouldn't take it if I was Frost

dsnice27 asks: Least favorite Husker of all time? (I'd go with Davison, Suh, and Ricky f'n Thenarse - only because I remember the nub boards acting like Thenarse was the next hybrid of Ronnie Lott and Deion Sanders)More overrated - Tom Hermann or KC BBQ?Finally - Turnover Chain - thoughts?

GD: Huskers--Richie Incognito

Overrated--Only one of those things is overrated. Either that or you misspelled Memphis.

Turnover Chain--Stupid and gimmicky, but it's working so genius

rlt002 asks: 1. I've heard how important the extra month of practices are for the teams who have gone bowling. Why? How does a month of practice in December make any difference for how good you will be 8 months later in September?2. A LOT of college football HC jobs possibly opening this year... rank the following as what you think are the most attractive jobs and why (Florida, UCLA, Tennessee, Nebraska, Arkansas, Ole Miss)

GD: For young teams, I think they can be pretty important. Get guys who are going to have a bigger role next year an extra two weeks of practice. Also it's a good time to build relationships and get your team to bond.

My ranking of the best jobs:

Florida--Tons of local talent and a good tradition (at least for the last 25 years) in a division that should be winnable pretty quickly

Tennessee--See above

UCLA--They have a lot of access to talent, but not as much tradition as the two above.

Nebraska--You can win here. But you can't win like it's 1994. But the division is not good and an opportunity is there to make the league title game on a fairly regular basis. The biggest concern here is outdated expectations. Like Tennessee, Nebraska fans should be pretty happy with an average of nine wins a year. But neither will be.

Arkansas--Incredibly tough division. And a fanbase that I think has expectations that don't match what the program is/can be.

Ole Miss--It's just not realistic to (legally) be one of the top three teams in your own division.

You didn't include Texas A&M here, but if you had, I'd put it below Nebraska and above Arkansas because of the expectations and the division they're in.

pogidragon asks:  Whats the biggest over reaction going to be by the end of the ordeal? Football 1-5 and fire Odom OR MPJ's injury.

The Michael Porter Jr. mystery continues
The Michael Porter Jr. mystery continues (Jordan Kodner)

GD: For now it's Odom because we KNOW the people that wanted him fired then were wrong (I'm not saying he's got it all figured out and we know he's the man to get it done, but he's at least earned the chance to see for a couple more years). But in the end, I think it very well may be the Porter deal simply because I still expect him on the floor in the next handful of games and in the absence of information, many are assuming the worst.

OPTiger11 asks:  Albert O: product of the system or legit NFL prospect? He's got the size, moves well, and has reliable hands, but we've seen prolific TEs from Mizzou never really caught on in the NFL.

GD: Legit prospect. The dude is 270 pounds. And Missouri's tight ends actually block a pretty fair amount. In the Rucker/Coffman/Egnew run, they were truly wide receivers with a different name. They were never attached to the line. Albert O frequently is. The tight ends are also lined up in the backfield sometimes. He's a complete player.

boilertiger05 asks:  Compare and contrast the following Mizzou football job saving "comebacks."1) The Mizzou win over South Carolina in the 2005 Independence Bowl.2) The entire 2017 Mizzou season.

GD: Interesting comparison. I think 2017 is more impressive for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's been a five week thing, not a 30 minute thing. I mean, even after beating UConn and Idaho, it would have been easy for players not to believe. But the staff got them to do it. Second, I'm not sure Gary Pinkel would have been fired after 2005. I'm almost certain Barry Odom would have been if they hadn't gotten to at least five wins. Now, what we don't know about 2017 is if Odom builds on it and parlays it into what Pinkel did. Ask me again in four years and my answer might be different.

Cruz23 asks:  Your opinion - Neutral site game right now, how many teams in the SEC would Mizzou not have a legitimate shot winning against?

GD: I mean, on the right day, they could beat anyone. But when you say legitimate shot, to me, that means if they played ten times, could Missouri win four of them. So I'll say Alabama, Auburn and Georgia are still significantly better and would beat Missouri at least seven out of ten. Other than that? Nobody. I mean Mississippi State and LSU have had better seasons and are better teams, but Missouri could beat them. South Carolina is 8-3 (I'm not sure most people realize that), but I think the two are very evenly-matched teams. And I think as of today, Missouri is better than the rest of them.

Zoufan27 asks:  Are there any QB name to mention?

GD: It's not for lack of effort, but we haven't been able to dig any up. We're trying and will continue to try, but it's tough to get a handle on what's happening there. To our knowledge, no new offers have gone out. My guess is Missouri might wait for some coaching changes and see if there are any quarterbacks they'd have a chance to poach. I think that could be true for some other positions too.

jrl3m8 asks:  Now that it's certain Mizzou won't be on the coaching carousel again this year, is the expectation that all of the current commits will sign during the early period in December? If they don't sign will the coaches consider those recruits uncommitted?

GD: I think this goes for every school. If you're committed and don't sign in December, the coaches are going to go out and recruit as if you're not committed. If they don't fill the spot and you don't find somewhere else you'd rather go, the spot will be there for you in February. But if a kid's committed and tells me he doesn't want to sign in December, I take it as, "I like you okay, but there are some hot girls I want to see if I can hook up with before we get married."

mexicojoe asks:  I think a book should be written about all the guys that have called or done play by play or color commentary on MU games since 1960. Are you, your dad, Dave Matter, and Mark Godich up to the task?

GD: At this point in time, I'm not. And I'm pretty confident my dad isn't. I can't speak for Dave or Mark.

sctjarr_mizzou asks:  Given the football win streak and so much coach turnover already and uncertainty all over, what kind of recruiting close is expected? Feels like Mizzou have a good opportunity to get some guys they wouldn’t have otherwise. Any names we should keep an eye out for?

GD: I think this class will end up where most Mizzou classes end up. They'll probably be somewhere between 25 and 45. Like they are virtually every year. Since Rivals started ranking classes (16 years total), Missouri has had one class higher than 25 (21) and four lower than 45 (all between 47 and 49). That's the range for Missouri. Always. Without fail. I think they'll end up there again. The guys you want to watch most closely are the kids Missouri had previously recruited at schools that change coaches like Nebraska, Texas A&M, Arkansas, etc.

Barry Odom has engineered an historic turnaround
Barry Odom has engineered an historic turnaround (Pete Scantlebury)

bigbee67 asks:  It's been mentioned only 2 SEC teams have won five in a row after losing five, and only 14 P5 teams ever.If MU ends up winning 6, or even 7, where would that rank?

GD: Only 13 teams ever have started 1-and-5 and ended up bowl eligible. Missouri is the 14th. Ole Miss is the only SEC team to do it, way back in 1983. The players said Odom told them this week that only one team has ever started 1-and-5 and ended up 8-and-5. I don't know who it was off hand, but will try to find out. So if Missouri can win two more, it's one of the two biggest second half turnarounds in college football history.

nwphotog asks:  Bigger chance of happening....Lock goes pro or MPJ doesn't play until SEC schedule startsBigger chance of happening....Lock goes pro or MPJ doesn't play for the whole season

GD: The first scenario, Porter. The second scenario, Lock.

gocubsgo17 asks:  Who gets drafted higher? Lock in the 2019 NFL Draft.Michael Porter Jr. in the 2018 NBA Draft.

GD: Porter. As long as he gets out there by SEC play and he plays the way people think he can play, he's a top three pick. Five at worst. Is it possible Drew could get up there? Sure. But it's really tough so the smart money's on Porter.

S_W_M_O asks:  Based on your experience has MU treated the MPJ injury (as far as releasing info, being honest with the press) the same way as other bball injuries in the past? Another way to ask, would we get the same non information if this was Reed Nikko instead of MPJ?

GD: I don't think Missouri would be handling it this way with anyone else on the roster. But Porter isn't anyone else. He's a sure fire top five pick with tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars awaiting him in less than a year. Superstars have different rules. This isn't new. And I will stress again, it's not entirely up to Missouri how to handle it. They are bound to do what the family wants them to do as far as publicly releasing any information.

BSWinMO asks:  What happen to Franklin Agbasimere? I thought he would be playing more this year.

GD: Nothing happened to him other than other guys being better. When you've got 80 guys on a team, they aren't all going to play. Agbasimere will have an opportunity next year because Missouri isn't going to be incredibly deep at defensive end. That will be a big year for him. If he doesn't play much next year, it's hard to see him ever having an impact.

Skeltner asks:  Maybe not a question but if the Porter situation lingers into mid December, I'd love for you to question an NBA GM or director of scouting and find out how they would evaluate Porter and how playing on a limited basis might impact his overall draft status.

GD: No NBA GM or scouting director is probably going to be honest about that. At least not with someone they don't know. And I don't know any of those guys at all.

LOZ.Tiger.17 asks:  Is it just bad shooting nights and missing MPJ or have the older players not improved as much as we thought?

GD: It's a combination of things. Yes, bad shooting and missing Porter are contributing. Iowa State isn't as good as we thought they might be. I don't think they've identified a starting point guard yet. Three of the top seven players are freshmen. But also, they've just had off nights. Off nights happen over the course of a season. One of these games they'll come out and shoot 60% and score 95 points. As many a coach has said, you're never as good as you think and you're never as bad as you think. Missouri hasn't yet lost a game it shouldn't have lost. If they look bad in Orlando and lose two or three games, then we can start to talk about underachieving and whether the goals were too high at the start of the year. But I'm not going to start doing it yet.

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