When the Defense Roars: Missouri Tigers Dynasty

[Kcordloh]

Matchup Preview | October 19, 2013
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#17 Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-2, 0-0 Away)		#3 Missouri Tigers (5-0, 2-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison #103 Total Offensive Yards #119 #98 Rushing Yards #116 #94 Passing Yards #98 Defensive Stats Comparison #6 Total Yards Allowed #3 #13 Rushing Yards Allowed #1 #3 Passing Yards Allowed #5 Injury Report Marques Barnett (SS) Fractured foot, 5 weeks James Franklin Concussion, Probable Henry Josey Broken Ribs, 3 weeks Game Notes For the first time in 2 years, Oklahoma State faces Missouri without national title hopes. Ranked #17, and playing at Missouri, Oklahoma State is merely going for the Big XII title, which they will win if they win all their remaining conference games. #3 Missouri is looking for a statement game, a victory which will get them their #1 spot back. Losing the #1 spot thanks to a rough 4 OT game did not sit well with the Tigers, and this being their first game back it favors them heavily. Look for a 44-14 victory by the Tigers.

Other games to watch
#5 TCU (5-0) at USF (4-1)
Texas A&M (2-4) at #2 Auburn (7-0)
#9 Maryland (7-0) at #19 BYU (6-1)
Nebraska (4-2) at #4 Michigan State (8-0)
#10 Boise State (7-1) at Houston (5-1)

[Kcordloh]

Missouri press conference
At a recent press conference, DC Johnny Rock had the following to say: "That Texas game was INSANE. I've never seen both our starting QB & HB get removed, and I was nervous when the offense couldn't score. Steele is a beast of a RB, hard to believe he is only a freshman! It's too bad his speed is suspect, any of our LB's could chase him down easily. I wouldn't want to plan for him though, he's like a Jerome Bettis 2.0.

However, it's a great season so far! #3 again is disappointing, I cannot believe that 4OT game against a great rival that always brings it cost us the #1 spot. However, with the Kansas & Oklahoma State games still left I believe we can slip back to #1 or #2, and finally get our BCS National championship shot."

[Kcordloh]

#3 Tigers duel with #17 Cowboys

The Missouri Tigers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys went to war Saturday, and it was definitely not what anyone expected. The trend of Missouri not struggling with ranked teams was broken, as the Cowboys brought their A-Game to Columbia.

The first quarter was a strong defensive battle, as the Cowboys defense contained the Tigers who were once again without Franklin and Josey.

The Tigers finally got on the board, but not traditionally, as Brayden Burnett punched through the Oklahoma State offensive line and sacked J. Deaton for a safety to give MU a 2-0 lead.

Brayden Burnett sacks Deaton for a safety and a 2-0 lead

Oklahoma State responded in kind, starting a deep long drive starting at their own 11 and ending in the Tigers endzone for a 7-2 lead at halftime.

P. McDonald catches a 38 yard pass on a 3rd and 17 on OSU's TD drive

The Tigers struggled until finally they got a break, in the 3rd quarter, when T. Bolden picked off J. Deaton. He returned the interception 20 yards, and then Missouri punched it into the endzone on David Steele's 8 yard rush to give the Tigers a 9-7 lead.

T. Bolden intercepts J. Deaton

The Cowboys offense faltered the entire fourth quarter, and the Tigers were unable to score but went on 3 long 60+ yard drives to eat all the clock up in the fourth quarter.

David Steele was named POTG with 21 carries, 165 yards, and 1 TD

[Kcordloh]

Tigers slip to #4 in all polls

Back in August everyone was talking about how the Missouri Tigers controlled their own destiny. If they went 12-0 nobody could keep them from the national championship.
It's October 20th, just two months later, and the Tigers fell another spot in the major polls, to be sitting #4. There are six undefeated teams in college football right now. Oregon (7-0), Auburn (8-0), Michigan State (9-0), Missouri (6-0), Kansas (6-0), and Arkansas State (6-0). Missouri only has has two ranked opponents left, #16 Oklahoma next week, and #5 Kansas at the end of the year. If two of the two three go undefeated Missouri will once again be on the outside looking in most likely.

NCAA Football Rankings - BCS Rankings - Updated: Oct 20, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	Auburn	8	0	.997
2	2	Oregon	7	0	.997
3	4	Michigan State	9	0	.989
4	3	Missouri	6	0	.983
5	7	Illinois	7	1	.972
6	6	Kansas	6	0	.972
7	11	Virginia Tech	6	1	.967
8	14	Michigan	5	2	.949
9	13	Wisconsin	6	1	.947
10	18	BYU	7	1	.947
11	8	Maryland	7	1	.934
12	5	TCU	5	1	.932
13	10	UCLA	6	1	.917
14	9	Boise State	7	2	.917
15	19	Stanford	5	2	.902

[Kcordloh]

Matchup Preview | October 26, 2013
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#16 Oklahoma Sooners (5-2, Away)		#4 Missouri Tigers (6-0, Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison #37 Points Per Game #36 #81 Total Offensive Yards #120 #79 Rushing Yards #98 #42 Passing Yards #93 Defensive Stats Comparison #37 Total Yards Allowed #1 #62 Passing Yards Allowed #16 #19 Rushing Yards Allowed #1 Game Notes For the first time in many years the Missouri Tigers are huge favorites against Oklahoma. The Tigers have won three straight (2010, 2011, 2012), all of them huge victories. The Tigers will be returning James Franklin this week, which means the Sooners defense had better be ready for him. The Tigers are favored by 17, and everyone will be there for the blackout game considering the Tigers have never beaten either major rival (Oklahoma, Nebraska) more than 3 years in a row and beating Oklahoma is never bad for the resume, even when the Sooners have a down year.

#1 Auburn (8-0) hosts #23 LSU (4-3)

[Kcordloh]

#4 Tigers roll Sooners 42-0

For all the bad things that seem to be happening to the Tigers off the field, the on field performance is starting to become a thing of beauty. The #16 Oklahoma Sooners seemed poised for a spoiler role, and they gave Missouri everything they had for a single quarter.

James Franklin was sacked hard on the opening drive for the Tigers, and was picked off twice as Oklahoma's hard nosed defense stood the test and forced a 0-0 tie going into the second quarter.

Franklin was brought down hard three times in the first half

Missouri went back to their recent success, the amazing David Steele, who started carrying the Tigers. His longest run of the second quarter was a 12 yarder that put the Tigers at 1st and goal from the 6, and they punched it in on a pass from Franklin to Steele to take a 14-0 lead.

The Tiger defense did what it always does, and took care of business, sacking R. Flowers twice in the second quarter as the Tigers didn't allow a first down the entire first three quarters.

R. Flowers experienced that hailed Tiger D

As the third quarter was expiring C Browning picked off R. Flowers and Franklin punched it in with a 27yard scramble and the Tigers took a 35-0 lead and substituted in the entire second and third strings.

Browning finished the day with 1 INT and a FF

The Tigers finished the day with 371 yards of offense, 186 of them on the ground. Steele finished with 24 rushes for 126 yards and 2 rushing TD, 5 catches for 77 yards and 1 TD. James Franklin finished with 161 yards and 1 passing TD, 2 carries for 29 yards and 1 TD.

The Tigers defense finished with 5 sacks, 2 INT, 2 FF, and allowed only 3 first downs, all of them in the fourth quarter. R. Flowers finished with 7 of 23 passing for 50 yards, but the Tigers allowed -30 yards rushing, so the Sooners offense technically only had 20 yards.

In other news #1 Auburn lost to #23 LSU 25-21.

[Kcordloh]

Tigers back to #3, Ducks #1

When the Auburn Tigers fell to the LSU Tigers there was a huge joy inside most Missouri Tigers hearts. The Missouri Tigers just need one more undefeated team to fall, either #1 Oregon or #2 Michigan State in order to reach their first ever BCS National Championship game.

The #1 Oregon Ducks have a hard road in front of them, and so does #2 Michigan State. In order for Michigan State to run the table they have to defeat Wisconsin and then either Illinois or Penn State in the BIG championship game.

Missouri doesn't have an easy road either, they face Baylor next week and then have Iowa State, Kansas State, undefeated #3 Kansas, and Texas Tech left.
Iowa State and Texas Tech are gimme games, Texas Tech is #120 in both defensive categories and only #47 in offensive passing yards, #119 in rushing yards.

Baylor looks to be a solid squad at 4-3 but they are a year or two short of giving the Tigers a real challenge. Kansas State is a solid squad with a good core group that might pose a challenge but their rush defense is weak and Steele should exploit them. No, the real marquee game left for MU is the Border War with Kansas. If both teams run the table, that games might provide the spark to put one of them in the BCS Championship game.
However, at this point everyone knows if Oregon and Michigan State win out it will be a rematch of the 2012 BCS National Championship where Oregon defeated Michigan State 40-37 in OT.

NCAA Hoops Rankings - BCS Rankings - Updated: Oct 27, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD	POINTS
1	2	Oregon	8-0	1.00
2	3	Michigan State	10-0	.994
3	4	Missouri	7-0	.989
4	5	Illinois	8-1	.981
5	6	Kansas	7-0	.981
6	9	Wisconsin	7-1	.969
7	7	Virginia Tech	7-1	.969
8	8	BYU	7-1	.961
9	1	Auburn	8-1	.956
10	8	Michigan	6-2	.948

[Kcordloh]

The great conference shuffle of 2015?

We thought it was over with. Conference shuffling is a huge pain to bear as a fan, even more so when it's about dollars and cents and not about rivalries and fan experience. Due to contracts and rules and buyouts most shuffling won't occur until 2015 based upon rumors.

The SEC struck back towards the Big XII for plucking Arkansas and went after Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas. The rumor who #16 will be is large, but apparently if they go for someone it will not be Clemson again. Most likely targets are Florida State, Miami, or West Virginia.

The Pac-12 apparently also re-extended invites towards Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

The ACC has apparently invited and gotten commits from Pittsburg and Syracuse to the join the ACC in 2015. These are still rumors however.

The Big XII did not sit idly by, as after the Pac-12 has repeatedly tried to poach their teams extended offers to Arizona and Arizona State to join the Big XII and recreate the North and South divisions.

All the paperwork is in the process, and there are tons of rumors, but it looks like 2015 will look like this.

ACC: adding Syracuse and Pittsburg makes them the first ever super-16 conference

Big East: looks to lose SMU and TCU if the Pac-12 steals Texas, TTU, OU, and Okie State. They are currently trying to add any C-USA school, Temple, Army, Navy, and Air Force. Also BYU has an offer.

Big XII: looks to add Arizona and Arizona State if Texas and company stay, or adding AU/ASU/TCU/SMU/BYU/Air Force if Texas & Co. leave.

Big 10: They are apparently inviting UConn as their 14th member, although Rutgers and Army have also been floated as possibilities.

MWC: According to sources they are looking to add teams from the Big XII if that conference falls apart but otherwise are currently happy with their membership. If they lose Air Force they are apparently inviting BYU and possible C-USA members, or North Texas from the Sun Belt.

Pac-12: They again want to add Texas & Co. They could possibly lose AU/ASU, especially if they make the leap to 16, as AU/ASU have been consistently against going to 16 members.

SEC: Wants to add OU/OSU/UT/ and someone else to get to 16 members also.