The Missouri Tigers’ 41-7 loss to Texas on Homecoming really doesn’t merit much comment. I don’t need to come up with any adjectives like “ugly” or “underwhelming” to describe the game, the score pretty much covers it. From Texas’ easy touchdown on the first drive, the game was never in doubt.
The Tigers never looked like they thought they could win. The teams seemed to reenact last year’s drubbing in Austin. Last year’s score at the half: 35-3, Texas. This year: 35-7. Progress?
I know how good Texas is, especially on defense, but I said last week I just wanted to see a good effort. Unranked and outmanned Mississippi State hung with No. 1 Florida before fading in the second half. That would have been great to see the Tigers do. Instead, Missouri showed little fight.
The second half saw little action save a pair of Texas field goals. Missouri has now scored three second-half points in the last three games, including none in the last two games. The crowd left early in waves. I always stay until the end, but I couldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to see any more of this debacle.
With the game out of hand, I watched the scoreboard some, which told the story of the Big 12 Conference gone completely insane. A quick sample of life in the Big 12: Texas Tech beat Kansas State 66-14 on Oct. 10. Kansas State then rolled out to a 59-0 lead en route to a 62-14 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 17. So, naturally, when Texas A&M played at Texas Tech last Saturday… A&M won 52-30.
I think some order will eventually be restored, with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State rising above in the South, but for now we have a Big 12 North Division with Kansas State (that team that lost by 52 a few sentences back) well clear in first at 3-1 in conference play. The Wildcats still have games with Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, but they’re still in a great position. Iowa State played turnover-free while Nebraska committed 8 (!) turnovers to lose 9-7 to the Cyclones. I had never seen a team go minus 8 in the turnover differential, but now Iowa State is in second in the North at 2-2. North favorites Nebraska and Kansas are languishing at 1-2 with some tough games ahead. Colorado is also 1-2 but dangerous, at least to Kansas. The 0-3 Tigers (4-3 overall) can climb out of the North cellar with a win next week at Colorado (12:30 on FSN). Given the mediocrity of the North, that’s a deep, dark cellar.
Missouri’s schedule gets markedly easier, but in such a wacky, bunched conference, winning five in a row to close out the season is unlikely. This week’s game at Colorado is crucial. A loss there and the Tigers are looking at an unsightly 0-4 mark in Big 12 play. However, a win would go a long way toward righting the ship.