Paul Finebaum explains how Missouri could be hurt by their schedule in the CFP race

Missouri will play one of the easier schedules in the conference and country this season with how things turned out. With that said, will that end up helping or hurting their case this year for the College Football Playoff?

Paul Finebaum discussed that topic during his appearance on ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’ on Monday. He wondered how the selection committee would view their overall record based on the new playoff format

“Yeah, I think it depends on how they’re matched up,” said Finebaum. “I think you’re right. We’re recreating new narratives because of the circumstances. It’s the automatic 10-2 and then you offer maybe a 9-3.”

“You’re right. It really helps if you’re playing someone out of league. It also helps if you’re playing someone within the league.”

When you look at their slate, Mizzou’s toughest games is a matchup at Alabama. Beyond that, their remaining seven conference opponents rank eighth or lower in the conference per the media poll in Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, Auburn, at South Carolina, Arkansas, at Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. That’s after playing a nonconference schedule against Boston College along with Murray State, Buffalo, and UMass.

If you examine it that way, Missouri sets up anywhere from eight wins to reaching double digits in 2024. That’d be their first time accomplishing that in consecutive seasons in a decade after winning 11 in 2023. However, as far as their playoff candidacy, Finebaum thinks the committee has to view their most difficult games, specifically the one in Tuscaloosa, as challenges for the entire season for them to have a case.

“Missouri? We know the game at Alabama. But, beyond that, they got dealt an incredible hand,” Finebaum said. “I think we’ll be told this once we get to the point of the season where the talking heads will be sitting up there on Tuesday night going through the whole routine. They may not have a lot to show. Especially – and this is another determinant – assuming their toughest games actually turn out to be high-quality teams.”

Again, 10 wins is going to give anyone out of the Southeastern Conference a very legitimate chance at the College Football Playoff. Even so, Missouri’s argument might be somewhat weaker considering the level of competition they’ll be playing even though they can only beat the teams in front of them.

Being in the SEC might not even be enough to help them at that point according to Finebaum.

“Well, I mean I try to look at it as who have you played, not what league you’re in. I know that may sound crazy because I think there’s this narrative that those of us who are from the SEC just automatically give SEC teams an extra game or an extra win. That’s not true,” said Finebaum. “I think it would be very difficult for someone who didn’t win the Big 12 to ultimately matchup because I think, even if you have a less than spectacular schedule, you’re probably playing better competition – I think probably.”

“f you look at Missouri’s toughest games – and let’s say Alabama does the unthinkable and loses a couple of games? Then those games – and it’s the same for other schools on the schedule. Those schools suddenly become devalued,” Finebaum said.

In the end, all Missouri can do is go out and win as many games as possible this fall. The committee will then determine their stance on the teams they defeated and if it’s enough to assert that they’re a playoff team for the first time ever.