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Missouri remained undefeated after Week 4, but suffered a horror scenario against unranked Vanderbilt on Saturday.
The No. 7 Tigers defeated the Commodores 30-27 in overtime, not an ideal result for a team hoping to make the College Football Playoffs later this year.
After the narrow victory, fans questioned whether Missouri should retain its top-10 ranking when the new AP poll is released on Sunday.
Andrew Mandziara @imTheMANdziara
#Mizzou is NOT a top 10 team.
Mark M @Tigers_SEC02
There is no way #Mizzou is the seventh best team in the country. Teams ranked in the top 10 don’t keep shooting themselves in the foot like they do
Vanderbilt looked like they could have a decent year after beating Virginia Tech and Alcorn State earlier in the season, but a loss to Georgia State last week reminded the country that the Commodores should still be considered an easy win for other SEC teams.
It was anything but an easy win for Mizzou, as the Tigers struggled to contain Vandy and were unable to get much traction on offense.
The narrow victory also marked the second consecutive week in which Missouri had to contend with a manageable opponent after the Tigers narrowly defeated No. 24 Boston College by a touchdown last week.
Missouri was a contender for SEC qualification a year ago, with its only losses coming against LSU and Georgia, but much of its success was thanks to star running back Cody Schrader, who moved on to the NFL.
While the Tigers still have strong players like receiver Luther Burden and veteran quarterback Brady Cook, Saturday showed that Missouri may have taken a step back this season.
Next week’s game against No. 25 Texas A&M will be a good indicator of whether Missouri’s scare against Vanderbilt was just a fluke or if the Tigers are headed for a bad year. If Mizzou can win in College Station, fans will likely rethink their opinion of the Tigers.
