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When the Missouri Tigers joined the SEC three seasons ago, they were merely an afterthought for most fans. It also seemed that the conference felt the same, putting Missouri in the SEC East, despite the fact that only two other schools is further west than the Tigers’ home in Columbia.
Fast forward three years and guess which team has won back-to-back SEC East championships? Those afterthought Tigers have been surprise winners each of the last two seasons, when not much has been expected of them.
Even more impressive, Missouri has won those back-to-back titles while undergoing quite a bit of roster turnover. In fact, the Tigers used two different starting quarterbacks (James Franklin and Maty Mauk) to claim the titles.
Despite the many changes on the roster, there has been one constant through the entire process, and that is head coach Gary Pinkel. The man who is the all-time coaching wins leader in Missouri history just keeps adding to his impressive resume.
It’s been Pinkel who has kept up with the times in college football, molding his version of the hurry-up offense into a winner. And it’s Pinkel who continues to recruit defensive linemen, especially defensive ends, who can rush the passer and force quarterbacks to make mistakes.
Pinkel has also been up to the task of taking on the nation’s best conference. His SEC record is 16-8 in three seasons, but it’s 14-2 the last two seasons, which is tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide for the best mark in the conference during that span.
There’s no question that Pinkel can stay at Missouri as long as he wants. And if he keeps winning like he has been, the Tigers might one day be playing in Pinkel Stadium.
Hot seat monitor: 0 out of 10
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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