Life in the SEC is brutal, and Missouri is learning that every week in its inaugural season in the conference.
The Tigers came with Texas A and M from the Big 12 this year and were blistered by 21-point loss to Georgia in their SEC debut. South Carolina pummeled them by the same margin two weeks later. Alabama outdid that with a 42-10 thumping. Even Vanderbilt, which has not had a winning record in conference play since 1982, went into Faurot Field and pulled out a 19-15 win.
Missouri finally ended its four-game SEC drought last week by beating miserable Kentucky, but quickly had to reload for a game at No. 8 Florida on Saturday (12 p.m., ESPN2).
“I’m not in here trying to devalue anybody, but the difference between the Big 12 and the SEC is the SEC has a lot more good teams,” Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. “
When you have multiple numbers of really, really good football teams, there’s going to be great challenges each and every week. That’s the beauty of the SEC.”
Texas A and M has been slightly better at 3-2 in the SEC, but feasted on struggling teams and lost to Florida and No. 5 LSU. The Aggies are in a four-week stretch that features games against LSU, No. 17 Mississippi State and No. 1 Alabama.
Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said he does not think any coach has seen that kind of challenge “unless you’ve coached in this league before.”
When the UF beat the Aggies in their first SEC game, coach Will Muschamp seemed especially pleased with his team for backing up the conference’s dominant reputation and wrecking their debut.
“Everybody wanted the glory story here with A and M and they didn’t get it,” he said after the game. It stands to reason then that he must have had fun seeing Missouri smacked with a four-game losing streak as it tried to swim through America’s toughest conference.
“No, I don’t enjoy anybody losing,” he said. “I enjoy when we win.”
But that 0-for-4 start validated how strong the SEC is.
“Yes it does,” he said. “It’s a very difficult league. Top to bottom, to me, there’s not a breather. It’s tough every week.”
Missouri struggled in part because it played through injuries to four starting offensive linemen and quarterback James Franklin. The Tigers’ offense ranks 12th in the conference, one spot behind Florida, and No. 111 in the nation.
The Gators (7-1, 6-1 in the SEC) suffered their first setback with a loss to Georgia last week. They are angry and hungry after losing control of the SEC Eastern Division race. Florida can clinch the East if it beats the Tigers, and Georgia loses one of its two remaining conference games.
UF squandered last week’s game with six turnovers, which could be an issue again this week. For all the difficulties they have had in the SEC, the Tigers (4-4, 1-4) lead the country with 17 forced fumbles and rank sixth in the conference in total defense.
