The Missouri Tigers will have no problems. The Missouri Tigers will have endless problems. In a situation as polarizing as the Missouri Tigers long-rumored move to the SEC, it's easy to find people on both sides of the fence with extreme opinions that the Tigers will either be the next great SEC foe or that they'll be the league's new doormat. Likely the reality is somewhere in the middle, although ESPN's David Ubben believes the risk wasn't worth the potential reward for the Tigers and that they might have a harsh reality ahead of them.
"I've said it a few times, and I'm not going to harp on it," says Ubben, "but for me, it boils down to Missouri's style not working with the speedier, more physical defenses in the SEC, as well as my belief Gary Pinkel's staff will not be able to recruit anywhere near as well in Texas. Missouri's built its entire renewed culture of winning atop those two tent poles. In the SEC, they're going to be gone. I do believe Missouri will have trouble consistently making bowl games in the SEC."
Ubben admits the Tigers have a solid program now and that they're built to succeed, but he also believes it's best suited for the Big 12. In the SEC, the game is changed a bit and Mizzou is not ready for that.
"It's not like Missouri has a crap program. It's built itself into a great program, but also a program best built for big-time success in the Big 12. I felt similar about Texas A&M. The fact is this: These decisions are intensely debatable. Leaving for the SEC is very risky, and definitely not a home run. In Missouri's case compared to Texas A&M, the risks are exponentially higher, and the reward nowhere near as high."
The move is made at this point and the Tigers are likely believing they can win with the best of them in the SEC. Only time will tell but clearly they'll have to make a believer out of Ubben.