NFL Tickets
For the second straight season, the Missouri Tigers have made it to the SEC title game — quite the surprise seeing as this team was looking mediocre after a home loss to Indiana early in the season. This time, the Tigers will have to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in a game that will surely decide if Nick Saban‘s squad can save the SEC from being shut out of the first College Football Playoff.
Alabama could end up being the No. 1 team in the nation with a win in the title game and it will all depend on the play of senior starting quarterback Blake Sims. The first-year starter has done a tremendous job filling in for the departed AJ McCarron, passing for 2,988 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the 20th-best scoring offense in the land. Sims has also been solid on the ground, rushing for another 302 yards and six scores. Sims trails T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry in the run game as the two-headed monster in the backfield has combined for 1,639 yards and 16 touchdowns. Amari Cooper has easily been the senior QB’s favorite target and an easy choice for Heisman finalist, catching 103 passes for an astounding 1,573 yards and 14 touchdowns — those are video game-like numbers.
Missouri’s offense hasn’t been nearly as impressive as Alabama’s behind sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk. The second-year player has been average this season, completing just 54 percent of his passes for 2,279 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Mauk has also rushed for another 336 yards and a touchdown, trailing Russell Hansbrough‘s 949 yards and nine touchdowns as well as Marcus Murphy‘s 747 yards and four rushing scores. Bud Sasser has been Mauk’s favorite target, by a long shot, catching 65 passes for 904 yards and nine touchdowns. Jimmie Hunt is second on the team with 34 catches for 529 yards and seven scores while Darius White is third with 318 yards and four touchdowns on 26 receptions.
Defensively, like many other teams in the SEC, the Tigers have been stout this season. Missouri ranks near the top of the conference in both major categories — ranking 13th nationally in points surrendered and 16th nationally in total yards allowed per game. Alabama has been even better, if you can believe that, ranking sixth in points allowed and 11th in total yards allowed per game.
Missouri will travel to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to take on the Crimson Tide at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 6. The game will be broadcasted on CBS.
PREDICTION: Alabama 31, Missouri 14
Want to see the Crimson Tide take on the Tigers in week 15? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].
Share 
