College football preseason rankings: Can No. 9 Missouri take advantage of a favorable schedule?

Welcome to the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

In anticipation of the first four-round postseason in college football history, we’re counting down our predicted playoff field as the season approaches. The top five conference champions in the CFP selection committee’s rankings will make the playoff and the rest of the field will be filled out by seven at-large teams. Who will lift the national championship trophy on Jan. 20 in Atlanta?

Previous previews: Nos. 25-13, No. 12 Boise State, No. 11 Utah, No. 10 Florida State

2023 record: 11-2, 6-2 SEC

Last season in 100 words

The Tigers were one of the surprise teams of a season ago. A 61-yard field goal got the Tigers a win over Kansas State in September and Mizzou only lost to LSU and Georgia. For the second straight season, Missouri was Georgia’s toughest SEC East win.

After losing to Georgia, Missouri blew out Tennessee and then snuck past Florida thanks to a big fourth-down conversion. The Tigers then beat Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl for the program’s first 11-win season since 2014 and the school’s first winning season since 2018.

Why Missouri can make the playoff

The Tigers return nine starters on an offense that was one of the most efficient in college football a season ago. Mizzou averaged 6.5 yards per play as QB Brady Cook had a breakout season. Cook threw for over 3,300 yards and had 21 TDs to just five interceptions.

WR Luther Burden III may be the best wide receiver in the country and will move all over the field for the Tigers again in 2024. Burden had 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore.

The rushing attack needs to replace All-SEC RB Cody Schrader after the former Division II player rushed for 1,627 yards and 14 TDs. That’s not an easy task and it’ll likely be done by committee. Missouri added former Appalachian State RB Nate Noel and former Georgia State RB Marcus Carroll through the transfer portal. Each player has a 1,000-yard season to his name and Carroll had 1,350 yards a season ago.

Cook’s role in the run game should also still be significant. He rushed for just 319 yards — sacks count against a college QB’s rushing total — but had eight rushing TDs. Missouri wasn’t afraid to call a designed QB run in key times in 2023.

The bigger question for the Tigers is on defense after the departure of coordinator Blake Baker to LSU. Former South Alabama DC Corey Batoon takes over a unit that gave up less than 21 points per game and had 39 sacks in 2023.

Finding replacements for draft picks Darius Robinson (8.5 sacks) and CBs Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine are paramount for the defense to match its performance of a season ago. Players like former Florida DL Chris McClellan, ex-Miami LB Corey Flagg and former Clemson CB Toriano Pride will be counted on to be immediate contributors.

Key player

Burden will get the most attention from opposing defenses, but Wease’s ability as an outside receiver is nearly as important to Missouri’s offense and also allows Burden to be so effective out of the slot.

After spending four seasons at Oklahoma, Wease had the best season of his career in 2023 with 49 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns. After a brief flirtation with the NFL Draft, he decided to come back for a sixth season in 2024.

Without Schrader to grind out yards, Missouri may lean more on its passing game. And Wease will need to be a more consistent contributor. He had two or fewer catches in six of the Tigers’ 13 games last season.

Biggest game

Missouri’s schedule is a big reason why the Tigers are playoff contenders. Mizzou may have the easiest schedule of any team in the SEC and needs to capitalize.

The Tigers visit Alabama on Oct. 26 after hosting Auburn at home. But we’re going with a trip to Texas A&M earlier in the month as the biggest game because it could define Missouri’s season. With the first four games of the season at home against Murray State, Buffalo, Boston College and Vanderbilt, Missouri should be 4-0 heading to College Station.

A win there would give the Tigers a phenomenal chance of being 7-0 before the trip to Tuscaloosa and allow Missouri to lose to both the Crimson Tide and one of Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Arkansas while still harboring serious playoff hopes with a second straight 10-2 season.

(The rest of the rankings will be revealed in the days leading up to the season.)