By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

The Tigers return just eight starters from the team that won the SEC East title, but head coach Gary Pinkel is no stranger to reloading, now in his 14th season in Columbia.

While it wasnt even the biggest surprise in its own conference last season thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime turnaround by Auburn, Missouri convinced many non-believers last season that they could compete at the highest level of college football. Now, its time for an encore.

The Tigers return just eight starters from the team that won the SEC East title, but head coach Gary Pinkel is no stranger to reloading, now in his 14th season in Columbia. A challenging offseason off the field, however, has left the team with more concerns than it had hoped to face. Lets look at 10 questions facing the 2014 Tigers.

1. How much progress has Maty Mauk made?

We saw a more-or-less impressive four-game stretch from Mauk last season, which did include the Tigers’ only regular-season defeat. With three-year starter James Franklin gone, Mauk, a redshirt sophomore, is now in charge full time. Missouri quarterbacks are cut from similar molds: the quick distributor who is capable of making one read and then making something happen with his feet if need be. The key for Mauk is to reduce his decision-making time, and make the play happen before the defense has recognized it. Hes not stepping into a great situation in terms of the talent around him, but Mauk showed enough poise and toughness last season to give Tigers fans hope that the offense shouldnt miss a beat.

2. Is there a between-the-tackles runner to replace Henry Josey?

Not anyone the caliber of Josey. Neither Marcus Murphy nor Russell Hansbrough, who are expected to share carries this season, tops 200 pounds. Theyre both fantastic and highly dangerous in space, but getting into space is a challenge in the SEC. Sophomore Morgan Steward may be the best option when tough yards are needed. Steward has 21 carries for 92 yards last season, but now finds himself with a unique style that the Tigers are missing. Missouris running game struggled mightily when Josey redshirted in 2012 after his gruesome knee injury. A regression to that level simply cant happen if the Tigers hope to again contend for the SEC East title.

3. What exactly do the Tigers have at wide receiver?

Marcus Lucas and LDamian Washington exhausted their eligibility. Dorial Green-Beckham was dismissed (or crun offd, if you ask Oklahoma). Levi Copelin was suspended for the season for drug use. While the situation isnt dire, it is a concern beyond veterans Jimmie Hunt and Bud Sasser. Unfortunately for Missouri, two-wide receiver sets in a spread offense arent common. A deep group of redshirt freshmen will be called upon sooner than Pinkel had hoped. Redshirt freshman JMon Moore and true freshman Nate Brown are two young players who could, and frankly, need to contribute this season.

4. Is the offensive line among the SECs best?

South Carolina and LSU are in a class by themselves, and Texas A&M is probably third. But beyond the top three, Missouris offensive front should be mentioned in the second tier with Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn. A pair of third-year starters lead the way 3 left tackle Mitch Morse and center Evan Boehm. Returning starter Connor McGovern will play somewhere on the right side, while left guard Anthony Gatti had two starts last year. Pass protection does need to improve after allowing 10 sacks over the final four games last season. Theres no high NFL Draft pick in this group, but its a very sound unit.

5. Can this defensive end duo be as productive as last years?

Its rare when you can lose a conference player of the year as well as a second-round NFL Draft pick from the same position group and not miss a beat, but Missouri is extremely fortunate. While Kony Ealy and Michael Sam combined for 21 sacks, senior Markus Golden and junior Shane Ray totaled 11 sacks between them in 2013 despite seeing limited action. Getting to 20 might be too much to ask, but Golden and Ray should at least reach the high teens. The biggest concern isnt replacing Ealy and Sam. Its replacing Golden and Ray as the first guys off the bench.

6. Can Kentrell Brothers take a necessary step forward?

The only returning starter at linebacker, Brothers slid inside during the spring to replace Andrew Wilson, who led the Tigers with 113 tackles a year ago, but now returns to the weak side, where he started all 14 games a year ago. A fourth-year junior, Brothers will have to be the leader of this unit that includes a pair of younger players in Michael Scherer and Donavin Newsom. The move back outside should present Brothers with more opportunities in coverage, which proved to be a strength of his in a three-interception season last year. Despite coming off shoulder surgery in the spring, Brothers has to give Missouri what it got from Wilson last year for this defense to succeed.

7. Are the secondary losses being overlooked?

Much of the offseason narrative for the Missouri defense was the losses of Sam and Ealy. With Golden and Ray, however, the more significant drop-off comes in the secondary. Three starters are gone, most notable second-team All-American cornerback E.J. Gaines, who had five interceptions last season. It appears to be three players for two spots to replace Gaines and Randy Ponder 3 sophomores Aaron Penton and John Gibson and junior Kenya Dennis. Strong safety Braylon Webb has 30 career starts, and free safety Ian Simon started in sub-packages last season, so there is at least come experience at the back end.

8. Could a friendly schedule be the Tigers 12th man?

Georgia and South Carolina both have to play Auburn. Florida plays both Alabama and LSU. Missouri, however, catches a nice break by playing Arkansas and Texas A&M from the SEC West, projected to finish last and second-to-last respectively in the division by SEC media. While it wont factor in the race to get to Atlanta, the non-conference schedule is light as well. Theres a bye week in between the key division games with South Carolina and Georgia, and a second week off to prepare for back-to-back road trips to Texas A&M and Tennessee. Getting to the second bye at 8-1 is not out of the question.

9. What can Missouri do to avoid a letdown after a division title?

Look at preseason projections. Almost no prognosticator has the Tigers picked higher than third in the SEC East, with most having them finishing behind a Florida team that went 4-8 last season. A division title should not remove the chip from the Missouris shoulder, as there is still a sense that this team lacks staying power, even in the easier of the SECs two divisions. Expect a veteran coaching staff, who has experience coming off of a season that nearly ended with a national title (2007), to have this team in a strong mental state as the season kicks off.

10. How will Missouri finish in the 2014 season?

A repeat of 2013 is simply too much to ask with this much turnover at so many key positions. But the Tigers will still be closer to last years version than the one that went 5-7 in 2012. Mauk will be the real deal, helping Missouri split the key dates with South Carolina and Georgia. Road losses to Florida and Tennessee will eliminate them from division title contention, but this team is still quite capable of winning double-digit games if they can shore up some holes at linebacker and in the secondary. The Tigers will play on New Years Day for just the second time in 45 years when they battle old enemy Nebraska in the Outback Bowl.