I think that dream-like quality is what’s drawing me to think of The Break-Up as I look back on Missouri’s ill-fated trip to Athens. I’ll go on the record as saying I think Mizzou played one hell of a game, and they have nothing to be ashamed of overall. Sure, they made mistakes. But generally you can also count on the other team to make mistakes of their own and/or not take advantage of yours.

Unfortunately, it feels like Mizzou (specifically Brady Cook) made two bad decisions on the day and was punished mercilessly for it. All the while, Georgia played a disciplined, clean game of their own. That’s the difference between very good teams and elite teams.

Mizzou’s bid to win their third SEC East title and get another shot at winning the SEC outright is now, for all intents and purposes, dead. That doesn’t mean the season is over or that Mizzou can’t still finish as one of the very best teams in the country. But even Eli Drinkwitz admits that one of the team’s goals is now off the table or, at the very least, out of their hands.

What’s disappointing about that fact is not so much that the Tigers didn’t do what’s necessary to earn it. In fact, I’d posit this team is close to or as good as those teams in 2013 and 2014. Rather, it’s the fact that this very talented team will now go down in Mizzou Football history as “pretty good!” rather than “legendary.” To be honest, it’s a distinction I thought they were worthy of… but now they’re lacking the bonafides.

One final thing I remember about The Break-Up, though, makes me think it’s a great comparison with Mizzou vs. Georgia: I seem to remember there being a happy ending? An acknowledgement of the fact that even though this specific relationship didn’t work out, there was something better in store for the two parties.

I think that’s where Mizzou can find the light moving forward. Saturday’s loss was disheartening, but it wasn’t back-breaking. It felt like a confirmation of Mizzou’s trajectory and a deferral to later success. If their effort in Athens is to be believed, things are headed in the right direction.

Was Mizzou meant to be with the 2023 SEC Football trophy? No, that dream is dead. But maybe a new dream can be born in its wake?

★★★☆☆ for the loss to Georgia, ★★☆☆☆ for The Break-Up, which can’t be all that good but can’t be all that bad based on the fact that it stuck in my head for all these years

Watchability Meter

Like I said above… that was a good game! Right? I can’t be alone in thinking that. Apart from the two late interceptions and a few too many Missouri penalties, that game felt like a heavyweight fight between the reigning champ and a worthy contender for the belt.

Naturally, that doesn’t take away from the sting of the final result. It’s hard to say that a Missouri game went well if they walk away with fewer points than the opponent. But as we’ve suggested said many times over the past few days, you have to re-calibrate your point of view when the opponent in question is Georgia. I mean, come on… they haven’t lost a regular season game in three years.

What was highly encouraging in my eyes — or should I say ears in this case? — was the sheer amount of times CBS’s broadcast team talked about how un-Georgia-like the Bulldogs appeared. “Carson Beck is rattled,” was a common refrain, as was, “this is the first time I’ve seen Georgia’s offensive line struggle to contain another team.” Missouri’s offense wasn’t exactly purring, but they didn’t have all that much trouble moving the ball when they really needed to. Cody Schrader, for instance, had his way with the Georgia front and Brady Cook found it fairly easy to move the ball through the air… including when there was a Bulldog on the end of the pass.

I can’t go over the top. Missouri did lose, and that’s never a cause for celebration. But I was pleasantly refreshed by their performance. It was a confirmation of most of the good things I’ve felt about them this year, as well as the fact that there’s still some room to improve.

For pushing Georgia to the limit between the hedges, I’m giving Mizzou 3 out of 5 fresh Georgia peaches. Yes, I know it’s not peach season, get off my back.