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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.
FiremanDanKC asks: If rivals ranked journalists, what would Drew and Jarod's pages look like? Would they have been 4 or 5 star recruits before you hired them? Or are they the Marcus Denmon 3 star type that performed like 5 stars? 2 star recruits that develop into 4 star portal entries?If rivals ranked journalists, what would Drew and Jarod's pages look like? Would they have been 4 or 5 star recruits before you hired them? Or are they the Marcus Denmon 3 star type that performed like 5 stars? 2 star recruits that develop into 4 star portal entries?
GD: We don't pay attention to journalist rankings. Everyone out there has an opinion and I'm sure they work very hard, but we have our own evaluation system. The most important thing is not viewing them as journalists but viewing them as human beings. We are trying to build good young men who will be good fathers and husbands and champions of life.
MIZDPT15 asks: Okay, Gabe. Time to flatter us sunshine pumpers.Let's say the biggest issues Drink needed to correct were:1) OL - it's going to be better. Let's assume it will be an average SEC OL resulting in better rush offense and pass protection.2) QB play - a step or two better than last year; better at finding the open receiver and not injured (be it Cook, Horn or Garcia). Also, a dedicated OC. Assume a modest to solid improvement with QB play.3)find 2-3 capable DEs - Robinson plugged in, Walker ascends, 1-2 of the other guys show up. Couple that will playmakers on LB and Baker's aggressive, we have a pass rush to complete a Top 20 defense (that ain't no guess, it's what it's gonna be!)Assuming such (which is likely best case scenario with the changes incorporated), what do you think this team's ceiling could be? If Mizzou starts 5-0, would it change your ceiling much?
GD: So basically, if everything goes perfectly, what's the ceiling? I've said 10-2. Do I think it's likely that every question gets a positive answer and that every bounce goes Missouri's way? Not really. But if it does, I think the only game on the schedule that is still almost certainly a loss is Georgia (yes, I know what happened last year, but I think it hurts Missouri. Georgia isn't going to take that game lightly. They're going to be ready). Then outside of that, even assuming the best case scenario, Missouri probably loses another one somewhere. Absolute best case scenario is that the Tigers play their best game every single week. But that's not reality. Nobody does that (not even Georgia; again, see last year's game in Columbia). The difference between the best teams in college football and everyone else is that the best teams still usually win if they don't play their best because the talent gap is so big. That's not the case with Mizzou. They'll have to play their best to beat LSU and Tennessee, but they'll also have to play very well to beat Kentucky, South Carolina, Kansas State, etc. You're not winning any of those games with B- efforts. So the likelihood is that Missouri loses at least one of them. I think the pie in the sky best case scenario is 10-2, but I think the realistic ceiling is probably 9-3. Starting 5-0 would make me think 10-2 is at least more likely, but I still wouldn't pick them to finish better than 9-3 at that point unless I was seeing a team that was just steamrolling everyone.
