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10 Wishes for a Better 2017 in St. Louis Sports

By Patrick Karraker

Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Drew Lock Missouri Tigers
Nov 25, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Lock (3) and place kicker Tucker McCann (98) enter the field on Senior Day before the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Faurot Field. Missouri won 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Progress from the Mizzou Football Program

We’ve reached the point in the downfall of Mizzou football where we can only reasonably hope for progress, not necessarily a return to competitiveness, in 2017. While there are certainly things that Barry Odom could have done better in his first season as head coach, it’s important to remember that he inherited a torn down program that lost its starting quarterback and quite a few  depth players shortly after his hire, then lost two of its best defensive players–Walter Brady and Harold Brantley–at the start of fall camp. While 2016 was incredibly disappointing, it’s almost impressive that the Tigers were able to win four games and seriously compete in several others.

The Tigers have no four-star commits for 2017, and it doesn’t really appear as if they’ll be getting any. That means Odom’s staff is going to need to coach up the players they’ve already got and develop some overachievers, much like Gary Pinkel’s staff did before getting an influx of four and five-star recruits over his last few years on the job. Seeing as guys like Damarea Crockett, Kendall Blanton, Marcell Frazier, and Nate Howard broke out later on in the 2016 season, it seems possible that this goal can be accomplished.

And while the Tigers probably aren’t going to gain any immediate difference-makers for the 2017 season, they’ll certainly have more depth than they had in 2016. If Odom can identify some diamonds in the rough and get contributions from them, the Tigers should stand a good chance of gaining bowl eligibility once again next season.

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