Column: Tigers' 10-win season holds hope for next year
Published Nov. 30, 2010
Expectations are a funny thing.
They constantly evolve but, in the case of college football, only seem to grow. There are no steps back.
Coaches are often victims of their own success. They lift programs off the ground and then stall into the middle-tier of teams. Some manage to vault their school into national prominence for a year — maybe two — only to find themselves mired back into 7-8 win seasons.
I’m sure many coaches would say off the record that all the exposure student-athletes receive from television and hungry fan bases are bad for the game. There’s too much pressure to perform and, even more off the record, too much pressure on the coaches themselves.
One extraordinary season suddenly raises the bar for every season to match it — an inherent contradiction.
A current example would be Joe Paterno, the head coach of Penn State. Citing his seven wins this year, part of the Nittany Lion faithful thinks it’s time for "JoePa" to go, seeing a frail 83-year-old man trudging the sidelines who’s lost control of a team composed of 20-year-olds. Other fans see him as the coach of a team that has averaged 10 wins (including two Big Ten championships) in the past five seasons.
Perspective. At times I hate it as much as anyone, but it’s crucial when turning to Missouri and evaluating Gary Pinkel’s tenure, especially the 2010 season.
Wherever Missouri ends up bowling this holiday season, the Tigers’ 35-7 thrashing of Kansas cemented only the fourth 10-win season in MU’s 119-year history. And while many will point towards the Texas Tech debacle to try to justify this season as a failure, it’s naïve to ignore the on-field accomplishments by this team.
Just five years ago, the previous paragraph would’ve been a pipe dream. A decade ago, when Pinkel came to Columbia, not nearly as many people would’ve even noticed. Memorial Stadium’s average attendance has increased by 10,000 under Pinkel, and seeing as most top recruits are staying in-state, it’s safe to say more eyeballs are watching the Tigers around the state as well.
When Pinkel started at Missouri, the Tigers barely knew the feeling of the postseason. The program was listless, averaging five wins per season and sitting in the backseat of the Big 12 Conference. MU hadn’t beaten Nebraska since 1978.
Fast forward to today. The outgoing senior class has won 40 games, attended a bowl game in each season, shared the Big 12 North three times, and achieved a No. 1 national ranking.
This year, Missouri beat the No. 1 team for the first time ever (Oklahoma, who the Tigers hadn’t beaten since 1998) and won 10 games against the seventh-toughest schedule (per ESPN) without its projected leading rusher and an injury-riddled defense.
Could (should?) Missouri have won 11 games? Yes. Does 10 wins constitute a failed season? No.
The real question is, when does this team need to win a Big 12 championship to break Missouri’s glass ceiling? Soon, no doubt, despite the tougher conference layout next year.
A better defense and an altered philosophy towards the running game implemented following the Texas Tech loss leads me to believe Pinkel is always tweaking, trying to break through. There’s no better opportunity than next year when the vast majority of the team returns, including nearly everyone at the skill positions.
Dare I say the expectations will be… great?
Comments (2)
9:11 a.m., Dec. 3, 2010
kstiger1971 said:
This may sound like blasphemy but MIZZOU has a lot to improve. I will give the Pinkel staff due credit: They are masters at improving talented athletes so they are physically prepared for top-10 competition. I will give the Pinkel staff due raps: (1) They buy into other team’s PR so they go into games with higher ranked teams disadvantaged. Every team can be beaten. You must find the way to do beat them. (2) The Pinkel staff is satisfied with 10-2 teams and mediocre Bowl bids. They are more concerned with next year’s recruiting than this year’s team. (3) They are ultra-dogmatic regarding their offensive and defensive schemes. You can make adjustments without abandoning your scheme guys. It keeps other teams on their toes. And finally, (4) The Pinkel staff passes their insecurities and doubts along to the team. They choke and do nothing to help the team win instead of removing the muzzles and letting the team attack. The players do the best that they can to win. I do not discredit them in any way but the fact is that MIZZOU should be 11-1, if not 12-0. They and their fans are victims of poor scheduling and coaching skills.
3 p.m., Nov. 30, 2010
brian said:
Show me state energy is peaked with pride at Mizzou/Campus. To have four teams tied at 10-2 with the North/South Big 12...and not have a simple playoff hurts. Having a higher BCS rating with an unjustified lesser bowl invitation hurts. Watch the reaction on campus this time having to go to California or Arizona at least. Holiday Bowl would be more fair than the Insight Bowl projected. One of the best defenses in the country will put a great show on regardless. Go Mizzou!