No. 15 Alabama easily defeated No. 21 Missouri 34-0.

The Crimson Tide put the game away in the third quarter when Jalen Milroe leapt to his right and scored a 9-yard TD for a 20-0 lead.

To be fair, the game was probably over by halftime as Missouri’s offense struggled again without QB Brady Cook. The senior started the game despite suffering a severe ankle sprain against Auburn a week ago, but injured his right throwing hand in the first half when he hit that hand twice on a player’s helmet during a follow-through.

As he did against Auburn, Cook was replaced by backup QB Drew Pyne. And Pyne fought again. He threw an interception on his first pass of the game in the second quarter when he simply didn’t see Alabama’s Malachi Moore, then threw another pick after Milroe’s TD when safety Bray Hubbard was able to read his eyes and make an easy interception.

The win was crucial to Alabama’s hopes of getting back to the SEC title game. A third conference loss would have put Alabama behind ten other teams in the conference standings.

Milroe finished the game completing 16 of 26 passes for 215 yards and had 11 carries for 50 yards and a TD. The Crimson Tide punished Missouri on the ground and stormed to four points.

Missouri’s CFP chances are very, very slim

Cook missed most of the first three quarters of the Auburn game before coming back and throwing two TD passes to lead the Tigers to a 21-17 victory. In his absence, Pyne was just 10 of 21 passing for 78 yards.

On Saturday Pyne was even worse. He threw three interceptions and forced Missouri to keep the ball on the ground in the fourth quarter.

Missouri, also playing without leading rusher Nate Noel, has a bye in Week 10 ahead of a schedule that does not feature ranked teams. There’s a legitimate path to a 10-2 season, especially if Cook’s hand injury isn’t serious and he’s healthy enough to play.

If not, Missouri won’t go 10-2. And even if the Tigers win, do they have enough of a resume to make the expanded playoffs? When Cook was on the field Saturday, the offense didn’t exactly move the ball well. And the Tigers’ other loss was a loss in College Station to No. 13 Texas A&M earlier this month.

Without a decisive win and two crushing losses, it’s hard to imagine the playoff committee seriously considering Missouri, even if the Tigers go undefeated in November.