Big 12 poll favors Mizzou

We are not alone in thinking the media is dreaming.

From SI.com's Stewart Mandel

Linkage http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/...s-of-champ.html

Missouri: The Makings of a Champ?

Earlier this week, I devoted the lead section of my Mailbag to an examination of Bill Callahan's Nebraska program. Apparently, I was wasting my time, because apparently, the Huskers are not even the best team in their division.

The Big 12 released its Media Preseason Poll, and the overwhelming favorite among conference media to win the North Division was … Missouri. Really. In fact it wasn't even close -- the Tigers received 16 of 24 first-place votes, as many as picked Texas to win the South.

My initial instinct was to chalk up this bizarre occurrence to the preponderance of Missouri journalism grads in the media world (including two of my editors), but upon further research, apparently several prominent preseason magazines (like Phil Steele) have tabbed the Tigers as well.

Still puzzled, I did a little more checking, and sure enough, Gary Pinkel -- 37-35 in his six years in Columbia -- is still Missouri's coach.

Talk about blind optimism.

Don't get me wrong, Missouri on paper has all the makings of a decent football team. Chase Daniel, coming off an impressive debut season in which he threw for 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, returns to lead the Tigers' shotgun-spread offense, and he'll have 1,063-yard rusher Tony Temple and sure-handed tight ends Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker back, too. The defense is less experienced but has been fairly consistent for some time now, ranking in the top 50 nationally the past three seasons.

So why was I so surprised by Thursday's poll results? Because to pick Missouri to win the North one must conveniently overlook the fact they've choked away one opportunity after another over the past several years.

It's no secret the Big 12 North has not exactly been a gauntlet of doom these past few years. With Nebraska undergoing a difficult transition from the option to the West Coast offense, Kansas State slumping during Bill Snyder's final years and Colorado reeling in the aftermath of its ugly recruiting scandals, the division could not have been more ripe for Pinkel's upstart program. Especially once it became apparent the Tigers had a program-changing player in four-year QB Brad Smith.

But Missouri's best showing during Smith's tenure was an 8-5 record in 2003, going 5-6 and 7-5 his last two seasons. Daniel has proven to be a much better fit, and the Missouri stormed to a surprising 6-0 start last year. But in typical fashion, the Tigers dropped four of their next five, including a 21-16 loss to dreadful Iowa State. A telling moment came late in the third quarter of an Oct. 28 game at Oklahoma. Missouri drove the ball all the way to the Sooners' 1-yard line with a chance to take the lead only to run four straight plays out of the shotgun, including having Daniel throw a jump ball into the end zone on fourth and goal. OU wound up winning 26-10.

So tell us, Big 12 media, why is this year Missouri's year? Is it because of the favorable schedule in which Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech come to Columbia while Texas is off the slate completely? Is it because the Kansas game, which would have been in Lawrence, has been moved to Kansas City? Or is it because Daniel and the offense are just that good?

My advice: If in six years, a coach's team has yet to break .500 in conference play, don't expect things to magically change in Year Seven.

 
OmahaPoohBear said:
I believe the writers have picked the correct winner 2 times in the past 11 years.

However, NU has been horrible on the road the past 3 years. Mangino has Callahan's number, and Mizzou has been tough in their place the past few trips. We are not that much better than we were the past 4-5 years so we could easily lose those 2 games.
Click to expand...
OMG the optimism is so fantastic!!!! :sarcasm :nanalama :nanalama :nanalama

 
I see a close game at the start. I mean it does start 0-0 but after kick off and the tigetts realize that the Huskers are there to take back what they have basically owned forever that they will fold and by the end of the game it will be apperant where the power for the north is.

Don't get me wrong. They can win this game, we have not shown anyone that we can play consistantly on the road yet, but we have some very good pre-conference games that will prepare us for conference play and the Huskers will either be riding a high for there results of the non-conference schedule or they will be exreamly hungry to win all of there conference games.

I do not see mu staying with us all game.

It should be an entertaining game to watch because they do have some very good weapons but I just do not know if their coach can put the right game plan together.

This one come down to coaching and we have the better staff period.

 
strigori said:
We are not alone in thinking the media is dreaming.

From SI.com's Stewart Mandel

Linkage http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/...s-of-champ.html

Missouri: The Makings of a Champ?

Earlier this week, I devoted the lead section of my Mailbag to an examination of Bill Callahan's Nebraska program. Apparently, I was wasting my time, because apparently, the Huskers are not even the best team in their division.

The Big 12 released its Media Preseason Poll, and the overwhelming favorite among conference media to win the North Division was … Missouri. Really. In fact it wasn't even close -- the Tigers received 16 of 24 first-place votes, as many as picked Texas to win the South.

My initial instinct was to chalk up this bizarre occurrence to the preponderance of Missouri journalism grads in the media world (including two of my editors), but upon further research, apparently several prominent preseason magazines (like Phil Steele) have tabbed the Tigers as well.

Still puzzled, I did a little more checking, and sure enough, Gary Pinkel -- 37-35 in his six years in Columbia -- is still Missouri's coach.

Talk about blind optimism.

Don't get me wrong, Missouri on paper has all the makings of a decent football team. Chase Daniel, coming off an impressive debut season in which he threw for 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, returns to lead the Tigers' shotgun-spread offense, and he'll have 1,063-yard rusher Tony Temple and sure-handed tight ends Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker back, too. The defense is less experienced but has been fairly consistent for some time now, ranking in the top 50 nationally the past three seasons.

So why was I so surprised by Thursday's poll results? Because to pick Missouri to win the North one must conveniently overlook the fact they've choked away one opportunity after another over the past several years.

It's no secret the Big 12 North has not exactly been a gauntlet of doom these past few years. With Nebraska undergoing a difficult transition from the option to the West Coast offense, Kansas State slumping during Bill Snyder's final years and Colorado reeling in the aftermath of its ugly recruiting scandals, the division could not have been more ripe for Pinkel's upstart program. Especially once it became apparent the Tigers had a program-changing player in four-year QB Brad Smith.

But Missouri's best showing during Smith's tenure was an 8-5 record in 2003, going 5-6 and 7-5 his last two seasons. Daniel has proven to be a much better fit, and the Missouri stormed to a surprising 6-0 start last year. But in typical fashion, the Tigers dropped four of their next five, including a 21-16 loss to dreadful Iowa State. A telling moment came late in the third quarter of an Oct. 28 game at Oklahoma. Missouri drove the ball all the way to the Sooners' 1-yard line with a chance to take the lead only to run four straight plays out of the shotgun, including having Daniel throw a jump ball into the end zone on fourth and goal. OU wound up winning 26-10.

So tell us, Big 12 media, why is this year Missouri's year? Is it because of the favorable schedule in which Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech come to Columbia while Texas is off the slate completely? Is it because the Kansas game, which would have been in Lawrence, has been moved to Kansas City? Or is it because Daniel and the offense are just that good?

My advice: If in six years, a coach's team has yet to break .500 in conference play, don't expect things to magically change in Year Seven.
Click to expand...
So true.

 
Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red said:
strigori said:
We are not alone in thinking the media is dreaming.

From SI.com's Stewart Mandel

Linkage http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/...s-of-champ.html

Missouri: The Makings of a Champ?

Earlier this week, I devoted the lead section of my Mailbag to an examination of Bill Callahan's Nebraska program. Apparently, I was wasting my time, because apparently, the Huskers are not even the best team in their division.

The Big 12 released its Media Preseason Poll, and the overwhelming favorite among conference media to win the North Division was … Missouri. Really. In fact it wasn't even close -- the Tigers received 16 of 24 first-place votes, as many as picked Texas to win the South.

My initial instinct was to chalk up this bizarre occurrence to the preponderance of Missouri journalism grads in the media world (including two of my editors), but upon further research, apparently several prominent preseason magazines (like Phil Steele) have tabbed the Tigers as well.

Still puzzled, I did a little more checking, and sure enough, Gary Pinkel -- 37-35 in his six years in Columbia -- is still Missouri's coach.

Talk about blind optimism.

Don't get me wrong, Missouri on paper has all the makings of a decent football team. Chase Daniel, coming off an impressive debut season in which he threw for 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, returns to lead the Tigers' shotgun-spread offense, and he'll have 1,063-yard rusher Tony Temple and sure-handed tight ends Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker back, too. The defense is less experienced but has been fairly consistent for some time now, ranking in the top 50 nationally the past three seasons.

So why was I so surprised by Thursday's poll results? Because to pick Missouri to win the North one must conveniently overlook the fact they've choked away one opportunity after another over the past several years.

It's no secret the Big 12 North has not exactly been a gauntlet of doom these past few years. With Nebraska undergoing a difficult transition from the option to the West Coast offense, Kansas State slumping during Bill Snyder's final years and Colorado reeling in the aftermath of its ugly recruiting scandals, the division could not have been more ripe for Pinkel's upstart program. Especially once it became apparent the Tigers had a program-changing player in four-year QB Brad Smith.

But Missouri's best showing during Smith's tenure was an 8-5 record in 2003, going 5-6 and 7-5 his last two seasons. Daniel has proven to be a much better fit, and the Missouri stormed to a surprising 6-0 start last year. But in typical fashion, the Tigers dropped four of their next five, including a 21-16 loss to dreadful Iowa State. A telling moment came late in the third quarter of an Oct. 28 game at Oklahoma. Missouri drove the ball all the way to the Sooners' 1-yard line with a chance to take the lead only to run four straight plays out of the shotgun, including having Daniel throw a jump ball into the end zone on fourth and goal. OU wound up winning 26-10.

So tell us, Big 12 media, why is this year Missouri's year? Is it because of the favorable schedule in which Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech come to Columbia while Texas is off the slate completely? Is it because the Kansas game, which would have been in Lawrence, has been moved to Kansas City? Or is it because Daniel and the offense are just that good?

My advice: If in six years, a coach's team has yet to break .500 in conference play, don't expect things to magically change in Year Seven.
Click to expand...
So true.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. Props to Mandel for stating the obvious lol.

 
Just found this on ESPN.com:

Stated by - Bruce Feldman

Apparently I'm not the only one who chugged down the Mizzou Kool-Aid this spring. The Big 12 media picked Mizzou to finish first in the North ahead of Nebraska. The Tigers earned 16 first-place votes, while the Huskers earned eight.

"We're honored to be picked (like a booger!) to win it, and we'll definitely use that as motivation," junior quarterback Chase Daniel told Graham Watson. "We've worked really hard over the last few years to earn some respect, and now that it's coming we need to work even harder to keep it."

I helped Chase out by better defining his use of the word "picked" HA HA HA!!!

 
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