Game 11
Tennessee Volunteers at Missouri Tigers
Saturday, Nov. 23; Faurot Field; Columbia, Mo.
While the BYU Cougars are a likely win for Tennessee football on a toss-up fringe, the Missouri Tigers are on the opposite side: a likely loss on a toss-up fringe. Crazy enough, though, some analytical sites, including the ESPN FPI, have the Vols winning this game.
Questions about Missouri’s motivation and how well Kelly Bryant fits into the system are all valid here. It could depend on what happens with their bowl ban. There’s also the Derek Dooley factor, as the former UT head coach is Mizzou’s offensive coordinator, and his former offensive coordinator at UT, Jim Chaney, is back with the Vols in the same role.
Those connections make this a very unique game. But what doesn’t change is the fact that the Vols are 2-5 against Mizzou since they joined the SEC and have lost the last two games by a score of 50-17. That is despite the fact that Missouri’s biggest star, Albert Okwuegbunam, was out both times. So all the advantages seem to favor Missouri.
However, Barry Odom was clearly rattled by Jeremy Pruitt recruiting his players in the offseason after the bowl ban hit. So this could really go in any direction and may depend on how their seasons are shaping up to this point.
Prediction
Despite what some advanced analytical data says, there’s no reason to believe that the Vols are going to be able to beat the Missouri Tigers in Columbia this year. They’ll make it more respectable with another leap forward, but Mizzou’s offense will be rolling just a bit too much. So they pull away in the second half in a shootout.
Missouri: 45 Tennessee: 35