Ten Thoughts for Monday Morning
1) Missouri was off last week but the bye week didn't exactly bring great news. We'll potentially get more information from Eli Drinkwitz on Tuesday, but here are the players we know are out this weekend: Kobie Whiteside, Larry Borom, Xavier Delgado (all for the full game), Markell Utsey, Dylan Spencer, Chad Bailey (all for the first half). What that means is Missouri is missing its two starting defensive tackles, two starting offensive linemen and the backup to one of those two. Not ideal when you're facing a team that is basically going to try to win the game by winning the line of scrimmage because it hasn't shown any ability to throw the football.
Here's my guess at what the offensive and defensive lines will look like to start:
OL: Zeke Powell/Bobby Lawrence, Case Cook, Mike Maetti, Mike Ruth, Javon Foster
That leaves Jack Buford, Drake Heismeyer and Luke Griffin as the backups. They have a combined one college snaps between them.
DL: Trajan Jeffcoat, Isaiah McGuire, Darius Robinson, Tre Williams
This is less alarming than the offensive line. You still have Chris Turner and Jatorian Hansford as backups. You get Utsey back in the second half. It's not ideal depth, but you can make it work. Jeffcoat and Williams have had games where they've played more than 60 snaps this season and McGuire is averaging more than 40 per game. Obviously you would like to be at full strength, but you might be able to survive here.
2) Georgia has its own issues. This weekend really comes down to the Bulldogs frame of mind in my opinion. If they come in pissed off ready to prove a point, Missouri might be in a lot of trouble. But if they come in pouting that they can't make the playoff and thus don't really have anything to play for, the Tigers could be the beneficiary. If Georgia plays well, it's going to win. But Georgia hasn't played well for the last three weeks really and who knows how much motivation it will have. The Bulldogs are the better team at every position on the field except for one. But that one is quarterback. I expect to see an approach similar to the LSU game where Eli Drinkwitz pulls out every trick in the book to give his team a shot. Missouri can't line up and just beat Georgia, especially with the offensive line where it is. The Tigers are going to have to use some trickery and scheme their way to having a shot. The good news is they've already done that once this year.
3) There are two things, one on each side of the ball, that give me the most pause in thinking Missouri has a real shot in this game.
Whether you are looking for more space to host those game day parties or looking to upgrade, Stein & Summers is your #1 fan in helping you find the home of your dreams! We have over 100 licensed agents servicing Kansas City, St. Joseph, and surrounding areas - including Kansas! Interest rates are at a record low while homes sales prices are at a record high! Contact us today to get started.