Joel Klatt Believes One Pivotal Game Separates Missouri From SEC Championship Game

Missouri enters next season with plenty of momentum after the Tigers won 11 games for the first time since 2014. The Tigers ended the season with a massive win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, their first bowl win under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes Missouri's path to the SEC Championship could hinge on one game in 2024. The Tigers will avoid key matchups against Georgia, Texas, and Ole Miss but will face a massive challenge against Alabama in Week 9.

Klatt stated that if Missouri upsets Alabama, the Tigers could potentially be a lock for the SEC Championship game next season.

“They do not play in their conference Georgia, they do not play Texas, they do not play Ole Miss, they do not play LSU, and they do not play Tennessee. This is their toughest SEC game,” Klatt said . “If they can beat Alabama, they're going to be in Atlanta. So wrap your minds around that.”

Missouri is 0-4 against the Crimson Tide since joining the SEC in 2016. The Tigers have lost five consecutive games against Alabama, with the last win coming in 1975. Alabama holds the 5-2 series lead over Missouri, dating back to 1968.

Klatt noted that Missouri will have a tough matchup against Texas A&M in Week 5, but the Tigers should be favored in every game this season except Alabama.

“If they beat, let’s say, A&M in their fifth game, they should be 7-0 when they go to Tuscaloosa," Klatt continued. "I think they should beat Texas A&M. A win against Bama, and they’re in a good position to be what, third in the country? Second in the country at that point at 8-0?

“And then their final four games after Alabama are as follows. They are at home to OU, they’re at South Carolina, they’re at Mississippi State , and then they’ve got Arkansas at home. That is an incredibly manageable schedule, and that’s why I think Missouri could be a sneaky team that gets to Atlanta, and that’s why that game against Alabama is going to be so important."

Missouri will travel to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 26. The Tigers will face the challenge of winning at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time in program history.

Related: Joel Klatt Names Potential Upset That Would Reshape The 2024 College Football Season