Mizzou Football: PREGAMIN ‘FLORIDA – Rock M Nation

Another somewhat quiet week for Drink, except for making a JUCO DE commitment for the 2022 class. I’m not used to Drink not getting into tricks … that’s the whole hell of a reason I renamed this section of Pregamin originally!

However, I’m looking forward to what (if anything) will come from the rematch of last year’s improvised fight that Dan Mullen decided to start. If Drinkwitz has a say in the matter, it will all be left to the past.

Drinkwitz, of course, had nothing to do with the fight that began last year. If you remember, Mullen jumped on Tiger’s sideline before Half Time and started blaming Drinkwitz for a game he had nothing to do with before he let his team cheat on it in midfield and did nothing to get them to give up. He appeared after the game dressed as Darth Vader, clearly forgetting that Darth Vader would face his end, gasping for air on a failed spaceship after realizing that he had lost his life and tremendous power to use small rage and revenge.

Who says art doesn’t imitate life?

Hi, now is the black time!

I know I don’t hate the oval tiger nearly as much as many of you weirdos. Maybe it’s because it’s the logo I grew up with, but I think it’s a great accent logo when used in the right context, that is, when the uniforms are monochrome. It helps things bounce a little apart from the crowd too a lot. Another valuable participant in this year’s “Best Uniform” nominees.

After many people checked out of Missouri after a poor stretch in September and October, the Tigers revived their post-season hopes by winning South Carolina. Do you think Mizzou has turned a corner or were they just taking advantage of a bad team?

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Aaron Dryden, Staff Football Analyst: I think there has been a clear improvement in a few areas. The line of defense has added one and a half notches to its game. That is clear. They held Georgia and South Carolina a total of 225 yards in the country. Compare that to the result in Tennessee, where they gave more than double a yard … It’s hard not to notice that improvement. South Carolina’s opponent isn’t a world hitter, but they seem to be a qualified team on the rise, and we know how good Georgia is, so I think it’s fair to say that the team may have turned a corner.

Josh Matejka, Deputy Site Manager: Can it be both? I think at this point, it’s pretty clear that Missouri isn’t quite as bad as it looked at the A&M losses in Tennessee and Texas. After all, they had a chance to win Kentucky late in Lexington and play in OT at Chestnut Hill. Turn all single-goal games in this table, and Missouri is 6-4, and the chances for a really good season are still on the line. They have clearly risen from the bottom and have, if not ascended, at least found their foothold.

However, it is probably too early to say that they have really turned a corner. Even though they’re on an upswing, a one-point win over South Carolina at home is probably not convincing proof that we should see. If Missouri consistently looks the same as they looked in the first 75 percent of last week’s game, I fully commit to inventing it. But I think we still need to see a little more.

Parker Gillam, Football Beat Screenwriter: This team has certainly gotten a long way from that early recession. Tyler Badie is the same and Connor Bazelak is mostly the same. What has changed is the work in the trenches. Both offensive and defensive linemen have made leaps and bounds during the season.

Baselak is no longer being chased in the backfield, and the offensive line seems to be playing as a more cohesive unit. At the beginning of the season, week after week, the defensive front, drawn through the mud, has improved considerably. As players like Blaze Alldredge have said, the defense understands Wilks ’plan now and is playing more downhill and more confidently. This has led to great performances in defending the run against Georgia and South Carolina, and if this continues, we should perhaps postpone “Fire Coach Wilks’ speech.”

Many have called for a move to QB in recent weeks, but Eli Drinkwitz has stuck with Connor Bazelak … until last week’s win when Drink took him to Brady Cook during the crusher. Have we seen the last song “Connor Bazelak: QB1”, or will he get another picture on Saturday?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Dryden: I believe Bazelak will get a fresh start.

As the owner of almost all the equipment on the island of Baselak, I too have to wonder if feeding him there is a good idea. Turnovers have killed this team and he has been at the forefront of it. He has also not been healthy enough or willing enough to use his legs to stretch and pick.

Nevertheless, if Bazelak gets a fresh start, it should tell you what Eli Drinkwitz thinks of his other QB options. If Brady Cook or Tyler Macon were better or could implement the Game Plan better, you have to believe they would be in the game at this point.

Apparently Drinkwitz sees this differently.

Josh Matejka: All the rumbles we’ve heard certainly suggest that Drinkwitz is going back to Baselak against the Gators and … I don’t know, man. I just don’t see it. Drinkwitz himself didn’t have enough faith in Bazelak to make good decisions and put things off against the bad South Carolina team last week, and it happened after Bazelak brought Gamecocks back to some seriously questionable decisions. Missouri is suddenly staring at a very possible bowl place, and do you mean to me that Drinkwitz’s best option is a guy who hasn’t made measurable improvements since last season? The coach knows more than I do, but Drinkwitz’s constant belief in Baselak over Cook or Macon confuses me.

Parker Gillam: I think Drinkwitz still believes in Baselak. Whether it is justified or not, it seems to be. There’s no denying that he has the best understanding of the attack and is able to play at a high level, but whether it’s injury or faltering confidence, Bazelak just hasn’t been the same guy this season.

Still, I argue that he gives this team the best chance to win. The only scenario I see him on the bench is if he continues to throw head-scratching abductions, especially at the beginning of games. Errors against South Carolina gave Gamecocks a boost at an early stage, but the margin of error against Florida and Arkansas is lower. I see a quick trigger for Drinkwitz, but I think Bazelak is still starting.

Florida is in a hot, hot mess right now and needs a career day from Emory Jones to save them from Samford a week after the South Carolina tram. Dan Mullen watches the end of his Gator time. Are there any more fights in them or are they cooked?

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Dryden: That guy Dan Mullen has cooked.

The average Florida fan believes they should dominate teams like Missouri, and if they somehow find a way to lose to Missouri while not guaranteeing themselves anything better than a 7-6 record, Florida fans will make Florida. They rebel, and it becomes malicious, like every four years.

First of all, I can’t imagine a better man for whom this would happen too.

Josh Matejka: It’s Florida, so you’re looking at a kind of dual reality here. Despite their strong focus on recruitment this season, they will become quite talented. But there also seems to be a kind of cyclical indifference in that program, where every three years the disappointing season turns into a complete collapse in the final month. Fortunately, Missouri always seems ready to take advantage. By Florida’s high standards, I don’t understand how satisfied they are with the loss to Mizzou and Florida State ends the season. But if Mullen is able to play at least one of these games (especially against season champion Seminoles), I can see him return to 2022.

Parker Gillam: This is a proud football show, and this is the dream job of a guy like that. Dan Mullen isn’t the type to just crash and die, and there’s still a lot of talent on this team. The Gators still have a bowl spot and they have a lot of young talent they want to get on the field. So no, I don’t think this program has given up on this team and they will continue to play hard. Their defense may not be good, but at least they’re going to put a lot of points on the board.

CHOOSE THEM! Despite their struggles, DraftKings has a nine-point favorite in Florida from Missouri before the match in Columbia. Can Missouri upset books and ensure bowl eligibility? If so, who has to get up?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Dryden: Florida, which is a favorite of 9, is actually really fun. They have done nothing that deserves such respect. It gets cold, it gets dark, and I feel like Faurot Field might sway a little harder than usual.

I squeeze Mizzou +9 and Mizzou ML in this post and also in real life. Whatever the total O / U of Tyler Badien, take control.

31-21, Mizzou.

Josh Matejka: After Florida has been playing for the last two weeks, I can’t imagine them winning this game any more than in a touchdown, so the Vegas line confuses me. For all the criticism the Missouri defense has received (I add legitimate criticism), it seems to be improving at the right time. They still have a hell of a time to put up with the running attack in Florida, but they should be able to take advantage of the ashes of Todd Grantham’s former defense.

I think this is probably more of a throwing game than anyone wants to think, and I don’t see either team escaping it. But I will say that by 2022, Drinkwitz seems to have the ability to make players believe in themselves, even if things look bad. This belief seems to have risen in recent weeks and is in stark contrast to what is happening on Dan Mullen’s team. That’s why (and in the cold weather) I win Missouri by 45-42. I bet, kids.

Parker Gillam: They certainly can and I believe they will. Each university team has an extremely low and extreme peak during the season. Mizzou’s low was a Tennessee game, and their peak is likely to come in the final part of the season. This seems to be a more cohesive team than earlier this year, and they seem to understand what this coaching team wants from them now. If the defense is able to continue its positive development, this team will be able to be what we were before through.

Now it is certainly not easy. The Florida attack is explosive and can go to the finish line with almost any team. Winning this game will take Bazelak a clean day (no sense in giving any easy guarantees for a bad Florida defense) and another strong defensive performance. With two strong attacks and poor defense, it seems that the exchange or the game of key teams will decide the outcome of this game. It shouts one name based on the course of the season: Kris Abrams-Draine.

I think Mizzou will definitely cover, and I appreciate the score of 31-28 in favor of the Tigers.