MCTIn a college football season that defied expectations, the Missouri Tigers found themselves ranked at the top of the polls for the first time since 1960.
After beating previously second-ranked Kansas in their final regular season game, they were slated to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 conference championship game, a team they had played before and who had represented their only loss of the season.
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel had looked flawless in recent games. But as soon as they came into the light, all of this Cinderella team’s aspirations were dashed way by their devastating second loss of 38-17. Worst of all, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) voters were more than willing to be an accomplice. The speed of Missouri’s descent from potential National Championship contender to yesterday’s news was so fast that it feels almost as if everyone has conspired against them.
These were the thoughts aired by Ph.D. student and Mizzou alumnus Kevin Butterfield. “Losing twice to Oklahoma was acceptable compared to what happened on Sunday [in BCS voting]. Missouri loses to the Big 12 champion twice and ends up in the Cotton Bowl while Kansas, a team Missouri beat the week before, gets to go to the BCS bowl game. The Bowl committee’s decision was the real tragedy.”
This spirit is not unwarranted given that if Missouri had played in a conference with no championship game at all, they would have been playing Ohio State in January. In the end, it just does not seem that there is any way to console Missouri fans with their current situation.
This biggest concern among many fans is that 13th-ranked Illinois, who lost to Missouri in the opening week of the season, still gets to play in the Rose Bowl despite their two losses to unranked teams.
“With the BCS rules currently in place, Missouri would have been better off just losing to Kansas and not going to the Big 12 championship game at all,” said senior Bill Fargo.
This worry is very much created by the fact that the BCS sets an arbitrary limit of only allowing two teams from any given conference to play in their bowls. What peeves me the most is that the BCS is set up to put more or less of the top teams into a set number of bowls,” said Douglas Peterson, a law student from St. Charles. “[That rule] causes top teams to get screwed out of games. I would much rather see four Big 12 teams play if they deserve it.”
The depressing fact is that the current college football post-season is horribly flawed. Unfortunately for Missouri, the team happens to be its latest victim. Perhaps the only good that could come out of this season is that college football may be one step closer to a play-off system that fans so desperately desire. This does nothing for the Missouri Tigers who will be watching the five BCS games from their homes in January.
The Tigers do still, however, have a shot at remaining in the national spotlight next season. If Daniel, a Heisman trophy contender, decides to forgo a trip to the NFL for one more shot at glory, this will be the team beat in 2008. Missouri fans are sure to be keeping these thought in their hearts already, regardless of the outcome of their final game against Arkansas in Cotton Bowl.