COLUMBIA, Mo. — In the Southeastern Conference, there are enforcers. Imposers to weed out perceived posers. Those who punch down to stop upstarts, who pare off the threat of parity. Even in the NIL age, bootheels are ready to grind upon bootstrappers.
Missouri keeps meeting them. Keeps losing to them. Keeps breaking down instead of breaking through.
It doesn’t need to be this way, the Tigers think. It could be different — it could have been different — the Tigers believe.
No. 8 Alabama 27, No. 14 Missouri 24. A win for the Crimson Tide, a win for the ruling class, a win for the status quo.