re: I don't know about the rest of you, but watching OM today, and aTm last night,

Absolutely. Truth.

Whoever ends up with him will see a bump up in recruiting.

He's impressed me all season, and the Sugar Bowl sealed the deal for me.

Chicken Little's and a lot of cool aid drinkers. No chicken little here cuz chicken little gave a shite, I really don't. Like I said, it is what it is. If we finish behind UF, UGA, USCe and the question, again comes down to do we finish ahead or behind Vandy and UT, it's still better than playing in the Big 12.

It will still take more time to develop it, but I would hardly call getting 3 or 4 kids total from Georgia and Florida combined is that big of a deal. I don't know if there's more youth football in Missouri or not. I think there is BETTER junior football now but I recall there being more teams in the St. Louis area in the 70's and early 80's. But I could be wrong. I was just a kid then.

I've got concerns. I don't bitch for the sake of bitching, but I will bitch.

We didn't look good last year, we haven't recruited well in comparison to our peers this year, we have a coach that seems resistant to change or even outside influences, and we promote from within to revamp our offense that didn't do very well this year, and we won't change because we do what we do well.

I'm sold for next year. Maybe the injuries did kill us and we really are a force to be reckoned with, but I didn't see it.

Hopefully the "new" OC will change the system up enough to make it effective, because it wasn't this year. Say what you want about injuries, but they're going to happen in any league, and potentially more in this one. Not having folks to step up on the line, or any other position, is a major problem that needs to be addressed through recruiting but again

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we haven't recruited well in comparison to our peers this year

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One bad year isn't enough to sour me on a coach that has been great for us in comparison to the previous two decades. However, next year needs to be better. It's obvious I'm not the only once in the fanbase with that stance.

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I never really get the bashing of people who have legitimate concerns about our future. Its not like its all over, but I dont see much to be very optimistic with in the current direction we are going.

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Im not bashing folks who have concerns. Im bashing the folks who say things like "we will never compete in the SEC"

Big difference. Not sure why you would take that in the way you did. Dont you think thats a ridiculous statement?

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Did you have a good holiday? What are you so grumpy about?

Same goes for you, UR.

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Those aren't the grumpy people in this thread.

Good stuff.

So there are no variables or mitigating circumstances involved in this sub par season. Its all black and white...

Things need to improve. Its going to take time to get adjusted into the SEC especially as far as recruiting. I honestly have my doubts about Pinkel and his staff being able to step up recruiting to be a division contender every 2 out of 4 years but I think that regardless of the staff that was in place they would have some tough work getting a foothold in the southeast.

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Those aren't the grumpy people in this thread.

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I know, I thought that was odd as well.

Its getting to the point, on all Mizzou message boards, that if you have any optimism or hope for next year and push back against the popular sentiment you get a little brush back.

It is what it is I suppose. Have been staying away because it really is just depressing at times the way folks are bashing the program and the staff.

To say "We will never compete in the SEC" is a stupid statement. Maybe I missed somebody saying that. But outside of that, repeated complaining is much better than it used to be for the fanbase. If we fail next year, I think Alden is going to pull all the stops to bring in the caliber of coach needed.


Also I wanted to add on the Charlie Strong front. If Teddy Bridgewater has a big year next year then he could be looking at a potential high first round prospect. I think if this is the case and he declares, that would SERIOUSLY help in getting Strong to leave also.

Mock 2014 #2 Selection

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Not sure what you are even talking about. I have been pretty even keeled throughout and thought we needed to see some changes. We have a new OC. Not my top pick but we will see. Calling someone out for saying "we will never ever compete in the SEC...blah blah blah" is not being grumpy or taking sides.

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Ok, obviously directed at me. You're right, I should have qualified it by saying we will never compete in the SEC if we continue to believe that we are something that we are not or if we continue to "Do what we do" or continue to keep the status quo.

How many times did we win the Big 12?
How many BCS bowl games have we played in? (And I'll give you 1 for the year that we got shafted)
How many times has Mizzou played for the national championship?
How many national championships have we won?
Would we be happy with 8-4 next year whereas other teams talk in terms of winning championships going into a year?

And I'm being called irrational for saying our program is not as good as programs that have won more national championships than we've played BCS bowl games? I'm being called irrational for saying our program is not as good as programs that have more top 10 recruiting classes than we have top 40?

Can we compete in the SEC? I sure hope so. I just hope it's in my life time. Do I have any reason to believe we'll be better than UF, UGA, USCe, Vandy, Bama, LSU, or A&M in the foreseeable future? Well, I guess I'm irrational for saying that the staff hasn't given me any reason YET to believe so. In the meantime, others can wear their blinders and drink their cool aid and continue to act like Cubs fans and think everything will be fine next season because we are all 0-0 before the first game even though we are only continuing to "Do what we do".

Actually reedus it was more directed at this comment made by someone else.

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I was a huge fan of the SEC move, and still am for the sake of our long term stability, but I am no longer optimistic about our chances to compete in football in this league. It's going to be nearly impossible to recruit kids to Mizzou with our climate, facilities, resources, tradition, etc. We're severely outmatched by a majority of the SEC

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