Nate Noel takes big step towards playing for Missouri vs. Auburn

Missouri football bounced back from a blowout 41-10 defeat against Texas A&M in Week 6 to pick up an easy 45-3 victory over UMass Amherst in Week 7, setting the stage for their upcoming contest against Auburn . While the Tigers are heavily favored to come out on top in this contest, they have been keeping a close eye on Nate Noel in the leadup to this one.

Noel has been dealing with an ankle injury as of late that caused him to miss Missouri's Week 7 action, but the team didn't miss him too badly against an overmatched opponent. With tougher games approaching, though, the Tigers are going to need Noel, which is why it's so encouraging that he is now being listed as probable to play in Week 8 against Auburn.

Via Pete Thamel:

"Missouri tailback Nate Noel has been upgraded to probable from questionable on the SEC injury report. A source tells ESPN he's expected to warm up and see how he feels. He looked good in Missouri's practice today."

Missouri set for huge Nate Noel boost vs. Auburn

Despite only playing in five games, Noel has put up some big numbers for Missouri (79 CAR, 471 YDS, 2 TD), and is a true difference maker out of the backfield. Having him back would clearly be a huge boost on offense for the Tigers, and his presence should make them an even more resounding favorite to pick up a victory in this Week 8 contest.

As always, it will be worth checking in on Noel's final status before kickoff to confirm that he is actually playing, but it would qualify as a pretty big surprise if he didn't suit up at this point. This is a big win for Missouri, and while they may not necessarily need Noel in order to come out on top against Auburn, getting him back now could end up helping them win some of the big games they will be playing in in the near future.