In a stunning turn of events that could only be described as spectacularly typical, No. 9 Missouri marched into College Station on Saturday, their playoff dreams glittering like a freshly painted paper mache tiger, only to have them dismantled by the Texas A&M Aggies—a team whose season has been about as predictable as a cat in a bathtub. From the opening kickoff, it was clear that Missouri was suffering from a severe case of overconfidence, perhaps induced by the thick air of expectation built up over their previous five games. As they strutted onto the field, the Tigers looked ready to pounce, but by the end, they resembled more of a sad house cat, staring longingly at an unapproachable bird while perched halfway up a tree. The Aggies quickly turned their aspirations of a seamless victory into a masterclass exhibition of football brilliance (or was it a masterclass in making Missouri look foolish?). With a jaw-dropping lead of 34 points by the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter, it was abundantly clear why chants of "OVERRATED!" echoed through Kyle Field, a venue where enchanted dreams of playoff glory swiftly turned into nightmares about playing PowerPoint presentations on how to lose gracefully. As Missouri's defense floundered around like a confused goldfish thrown into an Olympic swimming pool, Texas A&M's offense tore through every tiger-themed obstacle that stood in their way. The Aggies scored touchdown after touchdown, making even the most casual of fans wonder if Missouri thought they were competing in a polite game of chess instead of a rough-and-tumble clash of titans. It was like watching a WWE match, where one competitor forgets they were supposed to fight and instead decides to read "War and Peace." Back in Missouri, the Tiger faithful were left furiously refreshing their social media feeds, looking for signs of life from their team while sipping lukewarm victory punch that tasted more like bitter disappointment. After all, performances like these often leave fans wondering if the school mascot should perhaps consider switching to a less intimidating creature—like a goldfish. At the post-game press conference, Missouri's head coach attempted to downplay the defeat, insisting that "the season is still young" and that they'd come back “stronger” next week. This decade-old playoff slogan felt as stale as an old pair of gym socks. Meanwhile, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was busy distributing ‘Thank You’ notes to the Missouri coaching staff for the free lesson in humility they provided. As the dust settles on Kyle Field and the Aggies soak in glory like lizards on a sun-soaked rock, one thing is clear: Missouri will have to rally, refocus, and perhaps consider picking a new mascot—may I suggest a snail? After all, the only thing slower than the pace Missouri’s playoff hopes were moving on Saturday was a snail that just found out it lost its home. The road to any playoff contention has never seemed so curvy, especially when one considers that this coming week, they’ll face a solid fence full of undefeated optimism—with a sound defense that's ready to keep their dreams at bay.