Mizzou football back among college football’s elite, ranked 5th in final polls

The Missouri Tigers ended their 2013 season ranked 5th overall in the final A.P. and Coaches polls following Florida State’s victory of Auburn in the final BCS Championship Game.  Mizzou matched their highest win total in program history with 12.

However, pollsters gave the overall 4th ranking to South Carolina, a program that was able to leap frog the Tigers during the bowl season.  Mizzou was 8th heading into the bowl season and the Gamecocks, 9th.Complete polls listed below

South Carolina beat Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day 34-24.  Wisconsin was ranked 19th.  Oklahoma State was ranked 13th coming into the Cotton Bowl.  To some Missouri fans, they may feel slighted again in the final polls.

Looking at the overall picture, while USC jumping Mizzou is a bit of a head scratcher for me…fans have plenty to be happy with…an SEC East Championship, at top-five finish and Missouri was  just one of four SEC teams to finish in the top 10, with Auburn 2nd and Alabama 7th and 8th. LSU-14th, Texas A&M-18th and Vanderbilt-23rd round out the SEC.

Final AP Top 25

1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Michigan State
4. South Carolina
5. Missouri
6. Oklahoma
7. Alabama
8. Clemson
9. Oregon
10. UCF
11. Stanford
12. Ohio State
13. Baylor
14. LSU
15. Louisville
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma State
18. Texas A&M
19. Southern California
20. Notre Dame
21. Arizona State
22. Wisconsin
23. Duke
24. Vanderbilt
25. Washington

Final Coaches Top 25

1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Michigan State
4. South Carolina
5. Missouri
6. Oklahoma
7. Clemson
8. Alabama
9. Oregon
10. Ohio State
10. Stanford
12. UCF
13. Baylor
14. LSU
15. Louisville
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma State
18. Texas A&M
19. Southern California
20. Arizona State
21. Wisconsin
22. Duke
23. Vanderbilt
24. Notre Dame
25. Nebraska