Mizzou Football '14

[Freed Roger]

That said, the best way for a school like Mizzou (or any other non-traditional power) to become one of the traditional powers is to keep putting together seasons just like the last 10 Mizzou has had. It's the Wisconsin and K-State model, or going further back- the Bowden model at FSU. Win your 8, get to bowl games, and your talent level rises. Then win your 9 or 10 and get to better bowl games, and your talent level rises again. Then rinse, repeat for about 20-30 years.

Don't forget the fancy new uni variations -that's good for at least 10 top tier recruits per year.

[MrCrowesGarden]

DGB entered the draft as a Mizzou player. I know he never played for OU, but this seems strange.

[JL21]

I look forward to the awkward #MIZZOUMADE graphics that the athletic department puts out if he has NFL success.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Is DGB the biggest bust of all time for the football program? I guess he was a halfway decent receiver a couple years ago. But, after all the hype, he didn't do much on the field and was arrested a couple times before eventually being kicked off the team for, what was it, a domestic assault claim-that-was-then-claimed-to-be-hidden or something?

[JL21]

Hmm... I could buy disappointment because we should've gotten one more year of him, and because of the embarrassing off-field stuff. A junior version of DGB would've been amazing, even in this gimpy-ass offense. I don't know that I'd say "bust", though. As a sophomore, he had almost 900 yards receiving in an offense that also had two other great options (Lucas and Washington). 10 more yards and he would've led the team.

And he did some ridiculous stuff. As a freshman:



Last year:





And then my favorite, this Tecmo Bowl-style TD against Tennessee:

He did stuff on the field that I haven't seen any other Mizzou players do, including Maclin and Danario Alexander.

In fairness, the first half of his freshmen year was a little empty. But he figured it out halfway through, and then was great in year 2.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

DGB was good as a freshman and really good as a sophomore, he's not close to the biggest bust. There have been loads of 4 stars that Mizzou has gotten that didn't do anything at all that would be bigger disappointments. Michael Keck, Nick Demien, etc. Even if you wanted to narrow it to 5 star guys, Richardson is probably a bigger disappointment since he only played the single year, got suspended for a key game(which Mizzou lost, costing them their bowl streak), and was generally a larger headache.

[Freed Roger]

going way back. Tony Van Zant (injury bust). Was Parade National HS player of the year 1985. blew out his knee on second carry at Mizzou

[lukethedrifter]

i thought tvz blew out his knee in Missouri HS All Star game. Maybe it was another guy.

[Hoot45]

I'd say DGB is not the biggest bust because, as others said, he did accomplish a lot in a small amount of time. I do say he is arguably the biggest disappointment though because of all the potential he squandered. Mizzou ended up having a really nice year this year but had things gone differently we might be lamenting his absence a bit more.

[JL21]

You hate to say it, but DGB was exactly what this year's Tiger team was missing. They needed a #1 WR and an explosive offensive presence.

That said, it's hard to imagine their season going much differently. I guess the Indiana game is probably a win with DGB, but the UGA game is no different. They probably rank a little bit higher, but I don't think they would've been in the New Year's Eve Six. Primarily because all the DGBs in the world wouldn't have stopped 'Bama in that game and that probably would've knocked Mizzou out of the bigger bowls. And they probably would've ended up in... the Citrus Bowl.