This is the first of SEC football preview series:
Missouri is known as the “show me” state and the Zou fans are hoping the football team shows improvement.
The Tigers made it to the SEC title game in 2013 and 2014.
Missouri went 11–1 in the 2013 regular season and their first-ever SEC Eastern Division title.
After a loss to Auburn in the SEC Championship game, the Tigers beat Oklahoma State 41-31 in Cotton Bowl Classic.
In 2014, Missouri finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in SEC falling to Alabama in the SEC title game. The Tigers beat Minnesota 33-17 in the Citrus Bowl.
Then the wheels fell off the bus.
Missouri went 5-7 in Gary Pinkel’s final season and 4-8 in Barry Odom’s first season as head coach.
With 10 starters returning the offense should be impressive – but the defense has to improve or the Tigers could miss out on a bowl game for the third straight season.
Quarterback Drew Lock threw for 3,399 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
Receiver J’Mon Moore is back and should help the Tiger light up the scoreboard.
Running back Damarea Crockett crossed the 1,000-yard mark by rushing for 379 yards combined in the Vanderbilt and Tennessee games.
So what went wrong last season?
The Tigers scored 45 points against Middle Tennessee — and lost. They scored 37 against Tennessee and lost by 26.
After limiting opponents to 16.2 points a game in 2015, the Tigers surrendered 31.5 last year.
Mizzou gave up 28 touchdown runs and 300 yards four times in SEC play with LSU rolling up 418 yards in a 42-7 win.
So defense could help determine if Missouri wins six games and becomes bowl eligible.
The Tigers have a win probability of greater than 50 percent in games against Missouri State, South Carolina, Purdue, Idaho and Connecticut.
The Vanderbilt game is considered a “toss up, but the Tigers really need to steal a win.
Without LSU on the schedule this season, the chances for Missouri to win more than one SEC game is slim.
The oddsmakers feel Missouri has a win probability of less than 30 percent in games against Auburn and Georgia.
The Tigers also are given a low-percentage chance of beating Kentucky (39.4 percent), Florida (33.6), Tennessee (35.7) and Arkansas (37.8).
Some where in that mix Missouri has to find two wins.
Earning at least six victories would be a step forward for Odom in his attempt to build the program and a return to being a name in the SEC East.
So who are the keys to seeing the defense improve in 2017?
Defensive end Marcell Frazier (6-5, 265) can become the next star pass rusher as he knows how to get into the backfield, making 7.5 sacks and 33 tackles last season.
Safety Anthony Sherrils (6-0, 205) is big hitter with great range and hopefully with the new 4-2-5 alignment the defense will be stronger.
So the keys to success for the Tigers is to see the offense continue to roll up the points and defense begin to stop teams from scoring.
Sounds simple, but Missouri has shown over the past two seasons it isn’t.