The Missouri Tigers closed the regular season Saturday with a 28-21 win over Arkansas at Faurot Field. Let it snow!

The victory gave the Tigers a 9-3 record overall, and 5-3 in SEC play. Over the last two seasons, Mizzou ranks among highly among power-conference teams with 20 wins overall.

In addition, the Tigers' 11-5 in record in SEC conflicts over the past two seasons is near the top of the conference ladder. Moreover, Mizzou has gone 13-1 at home over the last two years; only a few power-conference programs have done better than that. This includes a clean 7-0 at home in 2024.

This all represents major progress. The state of Mizzou football is very good -- and has a chance to grow into something even better. There have been some disappointments along the way for MU -- the dream of qualifying for the 12-team playoff faded out -- but that shouldn't cloud our judgment. Coach Eli Drinkwitz is building a strong program, and that's always been the most difficult challenge Mizzou through the decades.

If Mizzou left us wanting more in 2024, that's actually a positive -- because it shows that the standards have been raised (finally) and it's OK to expect more.