Is Gary Pinkel On The Hot Seat?

November 17, 2012; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel during the first half against the Syracuse Orange at Faurot Field. The Syracuse Orange defeated the Missouri Tigers 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports

Follow Arch Authority On Twitter!

Gary Pinkel has become synonymous with Mizzou football. And why not? He has led the Tigers to success not seen in Columbia since the 1960s. However, in this “What have you done for me lately?” society that we live in, Gary Pinkel is supposedly on the hot seat. This begs the question; is Gary Pinkel on the hot seat?

Why could Pinkel be on the hot seat?

Lack of recruiting success:

The SEC is all about talent. To get that talent, you have to recruit well. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to pull in the top talent in the state of Missouri.

According to Rivals.com, the Tigers lost the top 2 recruits in the state of Missouri to other SEC programs. The highest rated commitment for the Missouri Tigers is ranked 11th and 15th in the Missouri state rankings. The SEC prestige has not resulted in many blue chip commitments, but many 2 star commitments.

I know many Mizzou fans are going to talk about how you can’t rule out two star recruits because Sean Weatherspoon, Danario Alexander and Ziggy Hood were all two star recruits. While that is true, recruiting is bigger than ever. With social media, Twitter and the ease of putting up highlight tapes on YouTube, the chance a gem in recruiting goes unnoticed is very small. Not to mention the countless 2 star recruits that didn’t pan out at all. Gambling on 2 stars isn’t a method if success in the SEC.

The lack of success in state has lead to a lack of success out of state where Mizzou has failed to make in roads in SEC recruiting territory.

The offensive system isn’t going to work in the SEC.

On Saturday Blitz, they wrote a fantastic article about how the Mizzou spread can work in the SEC. But there is one crucial element that needs to be considered; the quarterback. He is the reason the offense excels or sputters to mediocrity. Right now, James Franklin is a below average SEC quarterback. He was an average Big 12 quarterback before Mizzou joined the SEC.

The spread system utilized by Gary Pinkel takes advantage of the skill players in space, getting them one on one matchups less skilled defensive players. That strategy can work in the Big 12. Unfortunately in the SEC, the skill players are on defense and can matchup quite well with the offensive skill players Mizzou has.

Why he shouldn’t be on the hot seat:

He has made Mizzou elite before.

In 2004, Gary Pinkel and the Missouri Tigers had lofty expectations. They ended up finishing 5-6 and didn’t go to a bowl game. While fans were divided about whether or not Gary Pinkel was the right man for the job. He recruited a quarterback out of Southlake Carroll hit school named Chase Daniel and the rest is history.

Sure we don’t know if he can rebuild the Tigers up to an elite level once again, but he has done it before. Doesn’t he deserve the chance to do it again?

Verdict:

Hot Seat is very hot.

Although Pinkel has made Mizzou elite before, the move to the SEC was sold to Missouri fans that they could compete and win in the SEC immediately. One year ago today, the move to the SEC was official. The football program is worse off that it was in the Big 12. The University of Missouri made its bed by joining the SEC. The excitement has worn off, it’s time for results. Mizzou must hold people accountable for those results. Gary Pinkel didn’t make that decision to go to the SEC, but he is required to win in the SEC. He must at least get to 7 wins to keep his job.

Follow Arch Authority On Twitter! You can contact Chris Flanagan at archauthoritytoday@gmail.com