By this point, national media should’ve learned its lesson. Ignoring Mizzou as a preseason contender in the East isn’t a good idea considering the Tigers have done what other teams haven’t in the division since the start of the 2013 campaign.

They’ve seized control of their own destiny by winning every game in November.

Gary Pinkel has helped this team establish razor-sharp focus when it matters by leading the Tigers to consecutive (at times, improbable) division championships with a pressure-heavy opportunistic defense and an offense that seems to always make enough plays at the end to win football games.

Much to the chagrin of other fanbases, don’t be surprised if the Tigers are playing in December, again.

Best case scenario SEC series

MISSOURI TIGERS

2014 record: 11-3, 7-1
2015 best case: 10-2, 6-2
Closer look: Vegas oddsmakers don’t believe Pinkel’s team will win another Eastern Division title, but the schedule says otherwise. As many as 10 contests are favorable, including the first six games of the season before Mizzou travels to Athens for the most important game of the season. The Tigers’ two toughest games both come on the road (Georgia and Arkansas), but there’s a way Mizzou could lose both and still win the East if the Bulldogs lose against a division rival along the way and drop both cross-divisional games to Alabama and Auburn. Stranger things have happened and Georgia’s proven over the last several years that taking care of business en route to Atlanta is easier said than done. The most important game on the schedule is Mizzou’s Thursday night showdown against Mississippi State coming out of the Tigers’ only bye week on Nov. 5. Dak Prescott against a fierce front seven is a made-for-TV event and a pivotal battle for Mizzou heading into the final stretch.
Silver lining: Mizzou may not be as talented from top to bottom as last year’s team, but its path to Atlanta (at least on paper) seems more navigable. Outside of personnel losses at the wide receiver spot and a couple noticeable pass rushers no longer with the program, this team doesn’t have any major weaknesses that I can tell — a great sign for Pinkel in a top-heavy division. The first three games against SEC teams — Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida — before the bout with Georgia are all must-wins if the Tigers plan on reaching preseason expectations.