Well, that was certainly something. Mizzou came in as a heavy underdog, but getting shut out and losing by five touchdowns wasn’t really something most Tiger fans had on their bingo cards.

What started as a potentially promising defensive struggle quickly turned into yet another Mizzou road loss against a good team. So this is what we learned:

1. Mizzou had no chance to win this game

This is certainly hindsight, but that’s the whole point of this article, right? Even before the season started, Tiger fans knew it was going to be a tall order to leave Tuscaloosa with a win. After Brady Cook suffered a seriously injured ankle, on top of an already less-than-explosive offense, there was a reason why Mizzou was a 16.5-point underdog to Alabama.

When Cook fouled out for good in the second quarter, all hope of a Mizzou win disappeared from him. Mizzou simply wouldn’t win an Alabama game with a backup quarterback. That may sound defeatist, but it’s the truth. As far as Eli Drinkwitz has brought this program in terms of recruiting and culture building, Mizzou’s roster still pales in comparison to what the Crimson Tide can roll onto the field in waves. There is still plenty left on the table for the Tigers to accomplish this year, but this one just wasn’t in the cards.

2. Oh Brady, where are you?

While Tiger fans’ clamor for Drew Pyne over Brady Cook was rightly dismissed last week after Cook’s heroics against Auburn, there can be no more questions about who is the only competitive quarterback on the roster. Brady managed to recover from last week’s ankle injury and looked healthy enough to start the Alabama game. While he clearly wasn’t 100%, he was able to run the offense without turning the ball over. The offense wasn’t productive, but that was more due to poor offensive line play, which often caused Cook to panic and scramble out of the pocket. Often when it wasn’t necessary.

However, when Brady hit an opponent’s helmet with his throwing hand not once, but twice in the second quarter, he was forced to leave with a second serious injury in as many weeks. Enter Drew Pyne, who promptly threw three interceptions in his first nine passes. This extinguished any hope that Mizzou would run a competent offense this season with anyone other than Brady Cook under center. Ice that hand, Brady. Ice it well.

3. The defense was hung out to dry

This game started on a very different note than how it ended. This is partly due to a solid defensive scheme from Corey Batoon’s squad as they crowded the line of scrimmage, stuffed the running game, pressured Jalen Milroe and forced him to throw the ball short. A silly personal foul on sixth-year Kristian Williams and a missed holding call were the only reasons the Tiger defense gave up points on the first four drives of the game. This game was all about a grueling defensive battle, much like last week’s game against Auburn.

Unfortunately, the Tiger offense was soft and dysfunctional even when Brady Cook was still on the field. Three-and-outs after three-and-outs after turnovers after three-and-outs repeatedly put the defense in bad positions and with short fields. The dam finally broke early in the second half, when it was clear that Cook would not be back and the game was getting out of hand. This defense deserved better.

4. This was Kirby Moore’s worst game as a Tiger

It was clear to anyone watching this game that the plan was to slow the pace, control the ball, limit possession, play the field position game and hope for some luck and maybe a few points drops. At the same time, Kirby comes out on the first drive, with a physically compromised quarterback, and shouts:

• Pass screen to non-profit Luther Burden
• Flea flick for an eight yard loss (bag)
• Pass five meters in front of the sticks

Now the sample size for that first drive is small, but if your quarterback is already hurting, it can be nice to run the ball at least once. Plus, when you have one of the most electric playmakers in college football, it might make sense to give him more than five touches in the game. It costs nothing to hand it to him via a jet sweep or throw a tunnel screen where he is the only target. But apparently Kirby thinks that every time Luther takes a handoff somewhere, a puppy dies. This unit failed in many ways in this game, including an offensive line that was dominated from start to finish, but after a season full of mediocre offensive performances, a lockout should cause some serious mirror-watching.

5. Goodbye, playoffs

After their second loss of the season, the Tigers can almost say goodbye to their playoff hopes. Even if Mizzou wins the rest of their games (seeming less and less likely as injuries pile up), 10 wins most likely won’t be enough given Mizzou’s weak schedule. Wins over Oklahoma, South Carolina and Arkansas will move the needle and it will take more than a handful of playoff-caliber teams suffering third- and even fourth-place losses for Mizzou to get the nod over them.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t still plenty to play for this season. Ten wins are still on the table for the Tigers and I can count on one hand the number I’ve seen in my lifetime, much less the times they’ve done it in consecutive seasons. Yes, missing the playoffs is disappointing given the expectations this season, but finishing the season strong will continue the positive momentum in the transfer portal and spring recruiting seasons. The Tigers now enter a bye week before hosting the hated Sooners. We’ve heard a lot about the Brotherhood and the culture Drinkwitz has built in the Mizzou locker room. This is the time when they will have to lean heavily on that culture.