DALLAS — A 12 months in the past, Missouri soccer made the soar from obscurity to nationwide relevance. On Tuesday, star receiver Luther Burden was requested how his crew might comply with up on its breakout season.
“The crew purpose is to play for championships,” Burden stated.
Simply one thing you’re imagined to say. Besides now …
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, additionally talking Tuesday at SEC media days, listed the crew’s accomplishments the previous couple of years: 20 whole wins, a New 12 months’s Six bowl win, a top-three convention end.
“On the similar time, that’s clearly not the usual for the place we need to get to,” Heupel stated.
Once more, simply one thing a coach is meant to say. Besides now …
Oklahoma defensive again Billy Bowman was requested why he got here again for his senior season.
“My purpose is to win championships,” he stated. “We went to the Faculty Soccer Playoff 4 occasions (earlier than I received right here). I haven’t been there. In order that’s one thing I need to examine off.”
Win championships? Possibly a stretch. Get again to the CFP — an expanded, 12-team CFP? Not a stretch.
There was one thing uncommon about Tuesday on the 2024 SEC media days. It wasn’t simply Nick Saban, now not a coach, sitting at the back of the room and watching protege Kirby Sensible needle him from the stage. It wasn’t simply Tennessee heart Cooper Mays wanting resplendent in a cowboy hat and claiming it was the primary time he’d worn one.
When in Dallas. 🤠#SECMD24 x #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/tp5r3ySPOk
— Tennessee Soccer (@Vol_Football) July 16, 2024
Essentially the most uncommon half about at the present time: All 4 groups collaborating — Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee — may very well be nationally related this 12 months. Welcome to Playoff growth.
What number of SEC groups make the sector yearly continues to be an open query. Three looks as if wager, maybe as many as 4 if it breaks proper. And even when it finally ends up being 4 groups, it virtually actually gained’t be these actual 4.
However the desired impact of Playoff growth can already be felt right here, at this unofficial kickoff to the season. Within the four-team subject, groups reminiscent of Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma — in addition to Ole Miss, which did its rounds Monday — could be good tales. However with an expanded subject, there’s reasonable hope for every that it will possibly crash the large occasion.
Missouri went 10-2 final 12 months, barely shedding to LSU and Georgia, and was ninth within the pre-bowl CFP rankings. As nice a season because it was for the Mizzou program, it didn’t make the four-team Playoff. It could have made a 12-team subject. And with Burden, quarterback Brady Prepare dinner and loads of different veterans again, there’s motive to consider Missouri could make issues fascinating.
Extra reasonable hope.
“It’s extra to win, if that is sensible. It’s extra alternatives at stake,” Missouri defensive lineman Kristian Williams stated. “You’ve gotten extra video games. But in addition you need to take extra care of your physique as a result of you’ve gotten extra video games. So it’s additionally a danger.”
Tennessee primarily had the identical season in 2022, going 10-2, and would have made an expanded subject.
“The chance half is fairly cool. Extra groups are going to have that chance,” Tennessee linebacker Keenan Pili stated. “I additionally see the opposite aspect of it, although. The champion of that kind of Playoff is an actual champion. They performed quite a lot of groups and needed to win day in and day trip. You’ve received to arrange even tougher to have the ability to final that lengthy.”
Discover that Williams at Missouri and Pili at Tennessee made the identical level about probably enjoying an extended season. Groups are realizing that it’s a risk — and never only for the choose few. Earlier than, it might take a unprecedented season to make the Playoff. Realistically, until you have been considered one of a handful of elite groups — Georgia, Alabama, LSU, now Texas — your greatest hopes have been to play in an excellent bowl recreation and possibly win 10 video games.
The 12-team subject modifications that. It’ll put extra stress on coaches, however it makes extra coaches and groups intriguing. At a minimal, half of the SEC could be counted as respectable Playoff contenders in 2024: Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Past that, Kentucky can by no means be dominated out, if Mark Stoops’ program can take that elusive subsequent step. Texas A&M might shock if Mike Elko coaches up a roster with extra expertise than he had at Duke. Possibly Auburn, which has a historical past of come-from-nowhere seasons, does it once more. And if Missouri can come out of nowhere because it did final 12 months, it’s exhausting to inform anybody they don’t at the very least have some hope.
Effectively, possibly not you, Vanderbilt. Sorry, we’ve to be cheap right here.
In any other case, that is what Playoff growth is supposed to do. (Effectively, primarily it’s meant to make everybody a bunch of cash.) Nevertheless it additionally means alternatives. It means maintaining extra fan bases engaged because the season goes on. It means, because the preseason arrives, extra motive for practically each program to dream slightly — and never have these goals appear unrealistic.
Sure, because the season progresses, the hope will drop off for some applications. Or it might occur in a short time. And ultimately, the SEC should find yourself sending the same old suspects: Georgia, Texas and Alabama, maybe not in that order.
Or possibly an unlikely story emerges. Both means, a better variety of faculty soccer groups have greater than empty phrases about Playoff targets.
They’ve reasonable, tangible hope about enjoying significant video games in December. That’s factor. An excellent factor.
(Photograph of Brady Prepare dinner: Jay Biggerstaff / USA In the present day)
