Chase Daniel and Missouri Underwhelming Yet Again at Alamo Bowl

Let me start by saying I LOVE the Alamo Bowl, especially when Northwestern is playing in it. I remember when Nebraska and Eric Crouch flea-flicked Northwestern off the field during the 2000 season. I remember it, mostly, because it was the first bowl game I ever watched. It was exciting, even though the outcome was never in doubt.

This year, however, was one of the least exciting one-score games I have ever seen, and it all comes back to Chase Daniel. The question is, “Why am I not surprised?”

From coast to coast, Mizzou was predicted to decimate Northwestern. Pundits pointed to this game as the first indicator of how the Big 12 defenses would fare against their bowl opponents. Finally, Chase Daniel was picked to light up the Northwestern defense.

So, what happened?

The same thing that always seems to happen to Mizzou. They talked about being disrespected, disappointed, and claimed to have a chip the size of the Show Me State on their collective shoulders.

Daniel had the Tigers mad—just like he did before the last two Big 12 Championship Games. Much like in the 2007 Championship Game, Daniel looked, to quote Network, “mad as hell,” and as though he, “…(wasn’t) going take it anymore.”

In the end, however, the same snake-bitten Mizzou team showed up and did their best to lose the game.

Oh, they won. The final score shows that, but they looked bad doing it. Daniel looked confused, and the defense—with the exception of Weatherspoon, who was the MVP of the game—looked like a sieve.

The pundits, however, were wrong. This team is not an indicator of Big 12 success this bowl season. The indicator will be tonight, in the Holiday Bowl, as Okie State takes on the Ducks of Oregon. See, Mizzou plays in the Big 12 North, which is like the Amstel Light of the conference.

Mizzou deserves some credit though. They beat a team that they were supposed to beat. So, “Kudos, Tigers.” While I’m at it, “Good work, Texas. Rice has nothing on you.”

At the end of the game, left in the half-full stands were 200 solemn Tigers and, on the sideline, was the angriest dwarf wearing the number “10” I have ever seen.