Missouri Tigers Football: Number One And Done

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Missouri's pain turned out to be Oklahoma's pleasure.

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The top-ranked Tigers looked to keep their BCS Title Game hopes alive, but Oklahoma had other ideas.

With West Virgina losing to Pittsburgh, Ohio State appears to have backed right into the National Championship Game.

No. 9 Oklahoma, a regular at winning Big 12 titles, showed the Tigers what it takes to win one: defense and a bruising running game down near the goal line.

Oklahoma rushed for three touchdowns and Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford threw for two more and the Sooners easily captured their fifth Big 12 Title since 2000, upending the upset Tigers 38-17 Saturday night in the Alamodome.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the first in history to win consecutive titles in the conference. Maybe it shouldn't have been Missouri at the top of the BCS rankings after all.

And now, it isn't.

Oklahoma's Coach Bob Stoops suggested it should be the Sooners and immediately started politicking for his team to get a shot.

"You all voted Missouri number one, and we beat them," said Stoops after the game.

The Sooners (11-2) contained the Tigers' Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Chase Daniel and three times forced one of the nations best offenses to settle for short field goals instead of touchdowns. 

Daniel who needed a big game and most importantly a win to boost his Heisman chances, was 23-of-39 for 219 yards and no touchdowns.

He ran for the Tigers only TD in the second quarter but it was far from the standout performance he put up against Kansas the previous weekend.

"We had our scoring chances," Daniel said. "But we settled for field goals."

It was a bitter defeat for a Missouri program ready to shed it's glory unglamorous past with a chance to play national championship.

Alas, for Missouri as it has been for so many other fallen hopefuls this crazy, maddeningly unpredictable season, it was not meant to be.