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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.
ski tiger asks: Name a MIZZOU football team you thought would be good in preseason but wasn't and what you missed. Same for a team you didn't expect much from that overachieved from your expectations.
GD: When you've been doing this as long as I have (this will be my 17th season) most of the springs and falls start to run together. I remember thinking the 2007 team thought it was going to be really good, but a lot of years, I can't really remember what I thought beforehand.
I guess in 2008, Missouri underachieved. Not just relative to what I thought, but relative to what pretty much everyone thought and relative to what they expected. That team was ranked fourth in the preseason and lost four games. The crushing one was obviously the Oklahoma State loss. Then they went to Texas the following week and weren't even competitive. They already had the Big 12 North won when they faced Kansas and frankly they looked like a team that, at least defensively, didn't think it had much to play for. Then they lost the Big 12 title game to an Oklahoma team that was simply playing on another level. In retrospect, the Tigers weren't as good as we thought, but they shouldn't have lost four games either.
They probably underachieved in 2012 in relation to what I expected. That was the 5-7 debut in the SEC. A lot of that had to do with James Franklin's injury, but there were issues before that too.
As far as overachieving, it's easily 2013. I had fallen into the trap of thinking Gary Pinkel might get fired. I thought he'd lost it and I told friends that in private conversations. As it turns out, he had the quarterback position repaired and I think 2012 had motivated him and his players. No way in the world I saw that team having a chance to play in a national title game, which it did. I still think the 2007 team was a better team, but 2013 surprised me more.
KWMizzou asks: Assuming you have the accomplished skill set required to do both, would you rather kick a 47 yard field goal to win the CFP Title Game? Or have to make three free throws down by two in the National Championship?
GD: A good kicker probably has 80% accuracy. That's a good mark for a good free throw shooter as well. So the odds are probably about the same for the good ones (which we're pretending I am for the sake of this question).
My initial thought is I'd rather kick the field goal because I only have to make it once. Whereas the free throws, I have to do it three times. So while you may be 80% to make each one, your actual chances of making all three are significantly lower than that.
But on the flip side, if you're a kicker, you have to rely on so many other people. The snap has to be good, the hold has to be good and the protection has to be good. Plus, if you're playing outside, the wind can impact it. If you're the free throw shooter, it's just you. Nobody else is going to screw it up for you. (Honestly, that's probably a point against it for me. I'd rather be able to say, "I did my job, but my holder didn't get the ball down." That's reason #350 I'm not a high level athlete).
So I guess my answer is I'd rather kick the field goal. But honestly, I wouldn't want to do either one.
