By Patrick MacCoonRecord Sports EditorAfter two exceptional seasons, the Missouri Tigers football program has obtained a sense of respect in the Southeastern Conference, but not enough.While a preseason Top 25 ranking seems imminent, media members still have a hard time believing in the winning ways Gary Pinkel has quickly driven into a program while playing amidst the top conference in college football.After winning the SEC East division two years in a row, the SEC media selected the Tigers to finish third in the East behind Georgia and Tennessee.Despite being tabbed to finish higher than any of its first four years in the conference, they still haven’t obtained nearly enough respect.In the past two seasons, a pair of SEC Defensive Players of the Year and a balanced attack on offense  have led Missouri to a 23-5 record (14-2 SEC), which ties Alabama for the most wins of any team in the conference since 2013.At the beginning of the 2013 season, its second year after the switch from the Big 12, the Tigers were selected to finish sixth in the East, but finished first on the shoulders of Michael Sam (48 tackles/11 1/2 sacks).In 2014, the program finished with 11 wins with the dominant play yet again from a furious force on the defensive side in Shane Ray (65 tackles/14.5 sacks). Before the season they were selected to finish fourth out of the seven teams in the East division.While moving ahead one spot, one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the SEC looks to help his team exceed expectations again. Maty Mauk will enter his redshirt junior season with plenty of confidence and as one of the most well-garnered quarterbacks in the conference. In 18 starts, Mauk has a 14-4 record and provided little drop-off when James Franklin was injured in `13.With plenty of new faces at the signal-caller position this season around the conference, Mauk enters as one of the most respected gun slingers. His 36 career passing touchdowns ranks second to only Dak Prescott of Mississippi State.Starting tailback Russell Hansborough will begin the season on the Doak Walker Watch list and is expected to have a repeat 1,000-plus yard season on the ground. Mauk also has the capability to stretch the field with his legs.With decent speed and good decision making, Mauk has three rushing touchdowns to show for his 602 rushing yards on 149 carries in his career.Experience on the offensive side, which includes third-team All-SEC senior center Evan Boehm, and a defense expected to be led by another third-team member in redshirt senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers, puts Missouri in line for contention yet again in the less-than-dominant SEC East.However, once again the media seems to shy away from believing the Tigers will have yet another double-digit win season. The Florida Gators, a program in rough waters with a brand new coach in Jim McElwain and coming off two straight mediocre seasons, were given a vote to win the SEC title game while Missouri had none of such.Out of the 225 first-place votes to predict the winner of the East, which hasn’t won the conference championship game since Tim Tebow led Florida to the title in 2008, Missouri finished with 20 first-place votes. Yet again, signifying a trend of lack of preseason respect for a program still in its youthful years amidst the powerhouse conference of college football.Perhaps being outscored, 101-55, in the SEC championship game to Auburn and Alabama the past two seasons doesn’t help the cause of being looked upon as a top dog. However, an 8-4 record against Top 25 teams the last two seasons and two bowl wins says otherwise.Not to mention, the Tigers were one strong fourth quarter away from possibly making the national championship game in 2013, but Auburn scored the only two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure a 59-42 win. The winner of the East came into the Georgia Dome with a No. 5 ranking in the country for the second time during the 12-win season.Contrary to the media’s expectations, Pinkel appears ready for another winning season. The 2014 SEC Coach of the Year enters with a 113-66 record (.631) in 14 seasons in Columbia. His winning edge on the sidelines has been persistent even since he took over the Toledo job Nick Saban resigned from in 1990.In 2015, Missouri should have a strong chance to contend for its third straight division title as a favorable schedule will play an advantage for a team that returns 13 starters, which is two more than Georgia. The Bulldogs received 166 first-place votes to win the East and 28 to win the SEC championship.With perhaps the easiest schedule in the SEC, the Tigers will avoid the powerhouses out of the West such as Auburn, Alabama and LSU. Instead they will host Mississippi State, tabbed to finish last by the SEC media preseason poll, and travel to Arkansas, a program with hope they are on the edge of a breakthrough.The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a matchup with BYU at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 14, but other than that the schedule looks relatively easy: Southeastern Missouri (home), Arkansas State (away), Connecticut (home).The make-or-break games on the schedule, which will determine if they take its third straight trip to the Georgia Dome will be on Oct. 17 (at Georgia) and on Nov. 21 (home vs. Tennessee).Despite the departures of Markus Golden and Ray, who combined for 24 1/2 sacks last season, and losing Harold Brantley for the season due to injuries he suffered from a car accident, Missouri expects to continue to excel above its expectations. Josh Augusta and Rickey Hatley are expected to step up their pass rushing efforts.Several established leaders for the Tigers and new faces could yet again push the program past competition this season to its third straight SEC East title, especially if the trend of excelling while being overlooked continues.

Patrick MacCoon will now serve as the Warren County Record's sports editor. He is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee.