Watch the video below as Missouri football reporters Joey Van Zummeren and Michael Stamps give their initial thoughts on the Tigers' loss to Alabama. COLUMBIA,

No. 8 Alabama held on to defeat No. 14 Missouri 27-24 at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. That win marks the third consecutive against a ranked opponent for the Crimson Tide, who gives the Tigers their first loss of the season.

Fresh off dissecting No. 8 Alabama on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, Mizzou muzzled the Crimson Tide on its first two plays to leave it facing an apparent third-and-15 at its own 17. But the tone and dynamic changed with the ultimate unforced error: an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Zion Young for taunting after the play.

Alabama was able to secure a massive road victory over No. 14 Missouri despite losing a number of players to injuries. Ty Simpson put together another strong performance despite a fumble on the opening possession of the third quarter, and the quarterback will need to continue playing at a high level should Miller miss an extended period of time.

Who knows where Alabama’s season will end up, but Saturday’s prize fight certainly felt like a split-decision victory with a 27-24 score.

The No. 14 Missouri Tigers will face the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide in possibly the biggest game of the Tigers season so far. Last year, Misso

On quarterback Ty Simpson: He was far from perfect, but he made some high-level throws in important moments. Simpson also displayed the grit needed to push Alabama over the edge in a tight game. Simpson finished 23 of 31 (74%) for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

The Tigers have been here before. They fell to 7-15 against ranked teams in the Drinkwitz era, and 3-6 when both teams are ranked. Saturday marked the first meeting between top-15 teams in Columbia since 1979, and the Tigers wanted to make the most of the opportunity.