The hat involved in the hat tip was Houndstooth.
The date was Sept. 8, 1975.
Mizzou (Mizzou!) had just defeated No. 2 Alabama.
“All in all,” coach Paul “Bear” Bryant told reporters, “it was a good old country beating.”
At halftime, the visitors from Missouri already were up 20-0. And the Tigers defense continued to stymie the Tide in the second half, allowing a lone score in the 20-7 win.
It was the first game of the season. And it proved to be Alabama’s only loss that season. The 11-1 Crimson Tide won the Sugar Bowl and a share of the national title.
And it was the last time Mizzou beat ’Bama.
Until this Saturday?
Well, if there was ever a time, it’s this Saturday.
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Under new coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama has dropped to No. 15 — the Tide hasn’t been ranked this low since 2010. Even though ’Bama beat Georgia earlier this fall, the Tide also lost, famously, at Vanderbilt (where fans carried the goalposts throughout Nashville’s bar district and into the Cumberland River) and then at Tennessee this past weekend.
Yep, Alabama has two losses, and it’s not even November.
The 6-1 Tigers’ only blemish was their loss at Texas A&M, which has ascended all the way now to No. 14. And Missouri, of course, is coming off the emotional jolt of the “Hospital Game.” Quarterback Brady Cook injured his ankle early Saturday against Auburn, went to a hospital for an MRI, was ruled out of the game by the team, took an injection of something, miraculously returned to the stadium late in the third quarter and led the offense on two touchdown drives — as Mizzou won 21-17.
“It just shows the brotherhood,” running back Jamal Roberts, who scored the go-ahead touchdown, told reporters after the game. “It’s not over until it’s over. Everybody’s got a heart on the team and we just fight better together.”
The Tigers actually dropped from 19th to No. 21 nationally in The Associated Press (media) poll (I guess a win isn’t a win), but they remain in the hunt for one of the dozen spots in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama, meanwhile, went from playoff front-runner to question mark. Yes, it’s very possible that a two-loss team can crack the playoff field (generally there aren’t a dozen one-loss or undefeated teams in college football). But ’Bama still has to go to No. 8 iana State on Nov. 9 — and first, it has to face some other ranked Tigers this Saturday.
DeBoer already has shown an inability to consistently get his team ready to win in the Southeastern Conference. In fact, also sandwiched between the two losses was an unimpressive 27-25 win against South Carolina. It’s fair to wonder about Alabama players’ mentality in this Mizzou game after the brutal letdown of a second loss.
But these players are still pretty good players. I mean, it’s still Alabama. There is a reason why Missouri is a 13½-point underdog per FanDuel and DraftKings.
And if you brush away the emotion stirring around Mizzou, you’ll find a good-not-great football team. A team that struggled in an uneven performance, albeit a win, against Boston College (now 4-3). A team that was throttled at Texas A&M and showed it wasn’t ready to win on the road. A team that barely beat Vanderbilt (yes, yes, Vandy now is No. 25 in the nation, but Missouri at least should’ve defeated the Commodores in regulation). A team that froze offensively against Auburn when its quarterback was injured.
So 6-1 is nice. Guarantees a bowl bid. And there surely are some more wins on the Mizzou schedule. But I fear that after this Saturday, Mizzou will be in the same boat ’Bama is now — wondering if it can still crack the playoff field with two losses.
If Mizzou does lose, the good news is the Tigers don’t have LSU’s Tigers waiting on the schedule. Heck, Mizzou still plays three teams currently with a 4-3 record (Oklahoma, South Carolina and Arkansas) and one game against 1-6 Mississippi State. So it’s very possible that Mizzou could have the same number of losses after this weekend as it does after the final weekend of the regular season.
As for the 1975 Mizzou Tigers who beat ’Bama, they went from unranked to No. 5 in the nation the next week. But during the season, they had four games against teams ranked No. 12 or higher — and MU lost all four, including a 28-27 heartbreaker against No. 6 Oklahoma. And the next weekend, the demoralized Tigers lost the season finale to Kansas to finish 6-5.
But the win vs. ’Bama remains legendary. Tony Galbreath ran for 120 yards and a score. And Mizzou safety Jim Leavitt recovered two fumbles. And that team can say it was the only team that beat the national champs from Alabama.
Since that season, five Missouri teams have lost to the Crimson Tide, most recently in 2020.
The streak likely will go to six. But here’s at least thinking that Saturday’s game won’t be a ’Bama “country beating.”