Don’t adjust your television Saturday night. That’s just Missouri players carrying a chip on their shoulders during the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Missouri senior quarterback Chase Daniel had heard enough about the Sooners, apparently more than he could stand, early this week. Daniel stood at the podium during a news conference in Columbia when he was asked for seemingly the umpteenth time about Oklahoma, a 16 1/2-point favorite.
“You want to talk about their guys? How about our guys?” Daniel said.
Without waiting for a response, Daniel pulled out a piece of paper and proceeded with his prepared remarks.
Daniel talked about Missouri senior Chase Coffman setting the all-time major-college record for career receptions by a tight end. He talked about sophomore running back Derrick Washington ranking fourth among Big 12 rushers (963 yards), with 17 touchdowns. He talked about sophomore wideout Jeremy Maclin leading the nation in all-purpose yardage.
“You look at their weapons? Well, I want to look at ours, and what we bring to the table,” Daniel said. “I feel good about our guys. . . . We want respect. And it’s not going to be given to us. We just have to go out there and get it.”
Lost amid the hype over fourth-ranked Oklahoma (11-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 2 in BCS standings) playing for a spot in the BCS national championship game is what’s on the line for No. 19 Missouri (9-3, 5-3). An upset victory by Missouri would give the Tigers the Big 12’s automatic spot in a BCS game.
Also, it would be Missouri’s first Big 12 championship in football. Oklahoma has five, including three of the past four.
“It’s a one-game season,” Daniel said. “Both teams are playing for a lot.”
Missouri lost twice to the Sooners in 2007, including a 38-17 drubbing in the Big 12 championship game in San Antonio, a repeat of which is expected Saturday night.
Oklahoma has won 18 of the past 19 meetings, a streak interrupted only by a 20-6 Missouri win in Columbia in 1998 when the Sooners went 5-6 in John Blake’s final year as OU’s coach.
The teams did not meet during the regular season.
Daniel should feel confident. He would be the best quarterback in three or four other major conferences. But Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford may be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Bradford has thrown for 46 touchdowns and 4,080 yards against just six interceptions. Daniel has 34 TDs and 3,880 yards, but 13 interceptions — already two more picks than he threw all last season.
Oklahoma looked faster than Missouri on both sides of the ball last season. Don’t look for that to change Saturday, especially with an offense that looks almost unstoppable. OU is averaging 53.3 points and has surpassed 60 points in each of its past four games.
“Every aspect of their offense is going at the highest level,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
