Football’s oldest cliche isn’t holding up at Faurot Field this season.

The 2015 Missouri Tigers hold one of the country’s top defenses, ranking 2nd in the SEC and 10th nationally in total defense. Linebacker Kentrell Brothers is the nation’s top tackler, and Missouri boasts a strong secondary to go along with its always-potent defensive line.

But, despite the cliche, defense isn’t going to win Missouri any championships this year. Heck, at the end of the day, the Tigers may not even make a bowl, much less return to Atlanta as SEC East division winners.

At the end of the day, college football is a results-driven business. And Missouri holds the longest losing streak in the SEC at three games. Its terrible offense (the Tigers haven’t scored a touchdown since Oct. 3) and shaky special teams negate a brilliant defense that would be able to carry a squad with even slightly less-than-average offensive production. With the way they’ve been playing, the Tigers could lose out to end 4-8 on the season.

So should the Tigers be considered the conference’s worst team?

As mentioned above, college football is all about results. And Missouri’s 10-3 loss last Saturday to perennial SEC bottom-dweller Vanderbilt may leave the Tigers in the SEC basement this season. With Commodores running back Ralph Webb leading the way, it’s not inconceivable that Vanderbilt could play inspired the rest of the season following coach Derek Mason’s first SEC win. Missouri, on the other hand, hasn’t looked too inspired this season as a collective unit.

The Tigers still have to play a Dak Prescott-led Mississippi State team, travel to Kansas City to face a 6-2 BYU team, host a Tennessee squad that has played close against its superior conference rivals and end at Arkansas for a rivalry game. There just doesn’t seem to be an automatic win there.

Maybe Vanderbilt, holding the tiebreaker against Missouri, will be able to lift itself out of 7th place. But the Tigers and Commodores aren’t the only teams trying to avoid the “SEC’s Worst” label.

Auburn, despite its national acclaim during the preseason, sits at the bottom of a ferocious SEC West at 4-3 (1-3 in SEC). Not only has Auburn’s offense not clicked this year, but Will Muschamp’s defense has played below expectations. After losing to Arkansas last week, Auburn’s only surefire win the rest of the year is against Idaho. Things could get ugly on The Plains.

There really aren’t any other (dis)contenders in the SEC West, which remains the crown jewel of college football divisions. Prescott’s Mississippi State has been a pleasant surprise at 6-2, although Missouri still has a chance to win the head-to-head next week. Results speak volumes.

So that takes us back to the East and a team that, for a variety of reasons, looks like the worst team in the SEC. South Carolina is 3-4 (1-4 in the SEC) and had its head coach resign midway through the season after being absolutely destroyed by Georgia and LSU. The Gamecocks beat Vanderbilt, sure, but not convincingly enough for a home game.

When you examine South Carolina’s offense, it’s a very similar situation to Missouri. The Gamecocks have a non-existent offensive line, can’t get the running game off the ground and have rotated multiple quarterbacks throughout the season – including a true freshman and a former walk-on.

The Gamecocks have the true playmaker in Pharoh Cooper that Missouri’ doesn’t, but he hasn’t been very effective in the offensive flux. South Carolina’s defense is tied for 86th in the country, well below Missouri’s.

And let’s not forget the biggest factor of all – the Gamecocks lost to the 2015 Missouri Tigers! Missouri’s 24-10 home win was the team’s best of the season. The Tigers offense actually looked good in that game. That result in of itself is a reason to hold off on cementing Missouri as the SEC’s worst this season.