On Friday afternoon, the SEC released the two additional opponents for each team in the league to make up the ten-game conference schedule. Mitchell Forde and Gabe DeArmond react to Mizzou's slate.
Give me your off the top first impression of the games Missouri added.
Gabe: Can we use grown up language here? Because my first reaction was "Holy sh--." But it's not that big a surprise. I mean, there were only five potential opponents. Mizzou just played Ole Miss last year, so you're likely down to four potential opponents. And they were the top four teams in the West. The prior schedule had the 5th and 7th best teams in the division on Mizzou's schedule, so now you're adding the top two to that. If you said at the beginning of the year, you're going to face teams 1, 2, 5 and 7 from the other division, you'd look at it and say, that's more or less fair. The problem is that you just got No. 1 and 2 added at the last minute and so those two games are clearly the two toughest games anybody added today so you think it's worse than it really is. But it could have been better news if you were interested in something like winning games.
Mitchell: Welp, maybe some Missouri fans won't be so upset now if the football season gets canceled. I mean, that's just brutal: drawing the defending national champions on the road and bringing the league's perennial best bet to win a national championship to Columbia. I'll be excited to watch Alabama and LSU, for sure, but I can understand why fans aren't thrilled. You just swapped at least three, maybe four wins in the non-conference schedule for two almost certain losses.
Who got the best and the worst of the new draw?
Gabe: It's tough for anybody to be happier than Ed Orgeron. He added a home game against Mizzou and a road game at Vandy which, if they let fans in the stadium, will be another home game. Georgia adding Arkansas and Mississippi State can't be too mad (Conspiracy theorists unite: The preseason favorite in each division probably got the kindest additions). The short end of the stick went to Mizzou and Arkansas. The Razorbacks already play in the West and just added Florida and Georgia. Good luck, Sam Pittman.
Mitchell: I agree, Missouri and Arkansas almost certainly got the worst of it. Arkansas added Georgia and Florida to its slate. LSU and Georgia got the easiest draws. LSU gets Missouri at home and Vanderbilt on the road, two games in which they should be double-digit favorites. Georgia got Arkansas, which hasn't won an SEC game since 2017, on the road and Mississippi State with its new coach at home, although the Bulldogs deserved that because they were previously scheduled to play Auburn and Alabama.
Did anything about today's announcement change your thoughts about Missouri's season?
Gabe: Not exactly, but it kind of took away the thought that they might split the two extra games. I'd have picked Missouri within a game of .500 one way or the other with the eight games we already knew about. I'm not gonna pick either of these as wins. So, sure, the hypothetical schedule got harder today. But I don't really think it's going to matter for bowl eligibility because I don't think most bowl games are going to happen and I don't think Missouri was going to be in the mix for the playoff, so why not take your shot against the best the league has to offer?
Mitchell: I'm with you. It makes Eli Drinkwitz's first season on the job harder, for sure. But assuming Missouri didn't get Ole Miss added to its schedule, I kind of figured both new opponents would be likely losses. So while this is a worst-case scenario draw, it doesn't actually change my record prediction. And hey, it's going to be a crazy season, so who knows, maybe Mizzou gets one of LSU or 'Bama when they have a quarter of their starting lineup quarantined.
What's your prediction for Missouri's record if they play all ten games?
Gabe: I'd pick them to beat Vanderbilt and Arkansas. I'd say out of Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Kentucky you could win two if things go well. Then the other games are Georgia, Florida, Bama and LSU so, well, get as many wins out of the other six as you can. I'd say I'd realistically pick 3-7, but could see 4-6.
Mitchell: I'll say 3-7. They should beat Arkansas and Vanderbilt. I think they have a decent shot to win one of the games against South Carolina, Kentucky and Mississippi State. Assuming both teams are fully healthy, I'd be surprised if they beat Tennessee and stunned if they beat Georgia, Florida, Alabama or LSU.
Pick your SEC championship game based on the new schedule
Gabe: It has to be Bama and Georgia. It would have been my pick before today and neither one added a game that should knock them off course. Florida added a trip to Texas A&M which will be challenging. I think anyone who would pick a team outside of the Tide and the Dawgs is doing so with their heart.
Mitchell: I can't pick against Alabama in the West. They have a tough schedule, as always, playing Georgia plus all the powers in the West, but they should be heavy favorites against both of the two new additions to their schedule, Kentucky and Missouri. Plus, I just feel like Nick Saban will be especially motivated to have his team destroy everyone after they missed the playoff last year. Partially just to avoid being boring, I'm going to go with Florida out of the East. The Gators have an experienced quarterback coming back in Kyle Trask, and they're due to win the Cocktail Party game at some point. Plus, as mentioned above, even though Georgia got a good draw today, its schedule is still going to be a challenge.
