Three crucial games for Tennessee in 2015: Missouri

In 2012, when Missouri joined the Southeastern Conference, the general consensus was that the Tigers would contribute mainly in basketball, and just be another ordinary team in football.

That has not been the case.

The Tigers first season did follow script, as they finished 5-7, but in the last two seasons combined, Missouri boasts a 14-2 conference record, tied with Alabama for best in the SEC.

This includes an undefeated 3-0 record over Tennessee.

Missouri came out of nowhere to win the SEC East in both seasons, and once again after the 2014 season, they find themselves being doubted.

But even though the Tigers were in the same position last season, this time they will not win another eastern division title by surprise.

Missouri will lose star defensive linemen Markus Golden and Shane Ray (2014 SEC defensive player of the year) as well as 86 percent of their receiving yards from last season.

They will return quarterback Maty Mauk, but he was very inconsistent at times during last season.

Missouri’s strength from last season, their defense, will only return six starters this season.

Last season’s game was the only loss for Tennessee while Josh Dobbs was the Vols’ starter, a 29-21 defeat where Missouri’s talented defensive line gave Tennessee’s inexperienced offensive line major problems.

That matchup in the trenches will even out this season, with Tennessee’s offensive line being one year better and Missouri’s defensive front losing its two best contributors.

On the schedule, this game comes immediately after a contest with a run-heavy BYU team for Missouri, and playing Tennessee the week after facing BYU will not be an easy stretch of games for the Tigers.

The game falls at a favorable point for Tennessee, as they play North Texas the week before in a bit of a tune up game.

Missouri will certainly be in the top half of the SEC East this season, but they don’t seem like they quite have the talent to be able to win it for the third consecutive season.

That being said, going on the road for this pivotal mid-November matchup will be a huge test for Tennessee, and one that they will need to win to keep up in the SEC East race.

#tennessee #missouri #sec #seceast