Even a Week 1 victory over FCS Missouri State wasn’t exactly what the Missouri Tigers hoped for, as they allowed a ridiculous number of points (43) and yards (492) to an inferior foe.

Since then, losses to South Carolina, Purdue, Auburn, Kentucky and Georgia have put a huge damper on Missouri’s season. The Tigers have been blown out in four of their five losses.

However, road games against Kentucky and Georgia the past two weeks weren’t as bad as home losses to the other three teams, so there is some promise as the Tigers return home to take on Idaho for Homecoming this weekend.

Halfway into the 2017 season the Tigers are 1-5 and haven’t given any indication of turning things around. However, coach Barry Odom’s team could still shock everyone and qualify for a bowl game.

They’d likely have to do it by reaching six victories, as the Tigers’ APR score is tied for 44th. That means that, should Mizzou finish at 5-7, it isn’t likely it would qualify for a bowl game.

Will the Tigers pull it off and earn a shocking bowl berth? That’s another question, but here are a couple things working in Mizzou’s favor and one that will make it difficult to reach bowl eligibility.

Pro: Favorable schedule

This whole hypothetical becomes moot if Mizzou can’t take care of business Saturday against Idaho and Oct. 28 at UConn.

The six remaining opponents on Missouri's schedule are a combined 15-22 and not one has a winning record.

However, if the Tigers can get to 3-5, their remaining SEC schedule features home games against Florida and Tennessee and road games at Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

Of those, Florida looks like the toughest test, but even the Gators have struggled this year. Meanwhile, the Volunteers, Commodores and Razorbacks are all a mess right now.

Having the Florida and Tennessee games in Columbia will help, but Mizzou needs to show more life than it did in its four previous home games. Saturday’s game against Idaho should provide a good look into how the second half of the season will go for the Tigers.

Pro: Two major confidence boosters

The Tigers played much better against Kentucky and Georgia, but games against Idaho and UConn should help Odom’s squad gain some much-needed confidence.

If the Tigers can pick up two easy wins the next two weeks, they’ll head into their remaining SEC schedule with a little more confidence.

Then, on Nov. 4, the Gators will come to Columbia only a week after playing No. 3 Georgia in Jacksonville, which could turn into an ugly loss for Florida (just like it did for Mizzou).

If the Tigers can get those two wins the next two weeks and catch a reeling Florida team, an upset isn’t out of the question.

Con: The defense still can’t stop anyone

Yes, Mizzou’s defense looked good against Georgia’s running game in the first quarter on Saturday, but by the end of the night the Bulldogs had rushed for 370 yards.

The Tigers are last in the SEC in average points (42.2) and yards (498.7) allowed per game.

The Tigers have the No. 109 rush defense in the country, giving up 222.8 yards per game. Their other numbers aren’t any better, as the Tigers sport the No. 116 passing defense and the No. 123 overall defense in the FBS.

If those numbers don’t improve, it won’t matter that the Tigers have a favorable schedule, as even teams like Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas will score touchdowns at will.

Overall, it’s not hard to look at the Tigers’ schedule and see a route to six wins, but Mizzou still faces heavy odds. While Odom’s crew should win more games in the second half of the season than it did in the first half, there’s a lot of work left to do if the Tigers are going to win six games instead of three or four.