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Eyes On The Tigers: Missouri No. 1 In BCS

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By JOEY JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

Updated: 11/25/2007 11:55 pm

After yet another surreal weekend of college football - for the second time this season, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams were beaten - we may be facing a previously unfathomable reality by late Saturday night.

Missouri vs. West Virginia in the BCS Championship Game.

If the No. 1-ranked Tigers (11-1) get revenge against Oklahoma (10-2) in the Big 12 title game, and No. 2 West Virginia (10-1) subdues Pittsburgh (4-7) in the 100th edition of its Backyard Brawl rivalry game, it's a done deal.

"This is the true definition of the Show-Me State," Tigers running back Tony Temple told the Columbia (Mo.) Tribune after Missouri defeated Kansas 36-28 to clinch the Big 12 North championship. "We showed everybody."

Missouri was unranked in the preseason.

West Virginia, meanwhile, was summarily dismissed after a 21-13 loss at South Florida on Sept. 28.

"Some of us guys never thought we'd be back up there in contention," West Virginia cornerback Vaughn Rivers told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the Mountaineers stomped Connecticut 66-21 to clinch the Big East championship. "Now it just lies in our hands."

Missouri vs. West Virginia on Jan. 7 in New Orleans?

Maybe it's a fitting finale for the wackiest of college football seasons.

Twelve top-five teams have been upset by unranked opponents this season, including LSU's 50-48 triple-overtime loss against Arkansas on Friday. When Kansas was beaten by Missouri, it left Hawaii (11-0) as the only unbeaten team in Division I-A.

Now Missouri is No. 1 for only the second week in school history (the other time was 1960, when it was beaten by Kansas. The Jayhawks, who used an ineligible player, later were stripped of the victory).

Meanwhile, West Virginia is No. 2 for the first time during the regular season.

"We're close to our goals," Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez said. "But we're not in the BCS game yet."

Missouri and West Virginia need one more victory.

For the Tigers, who lost at Oklahoma 31-17 largely because of a mistake-filled fourth quarter, it's a chance for retribution. And if Missouri loses?

It's likely retribution for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes (11-1), who clinched the Big Ten championship by defeating Michigan on Nov. 17, have no regular-season games remaining, but could sneak into the BCS Championship Game if Oklahoma defeats Missouri.

Go Bucks?

In Columbus, Ohio, the chant sounds more like, "Boomer Sooner!"

Oklahoma has won four of its five appearances at the Big 12 Championship Game. Missouri, which hasn't won a conference title since 1969, is making its first trip.

West Virginia, meanwhile, looks like a safe bet. Pittsburgh has lost seven of its past nine games, including Saturday's 48-37 home defeat against USF. The Mountaineers have beaten the Panthers by a combined 90-40 in the past two meetings.

The Mountaineers were a consensus top-five pick in the preseason polls, but that disappeared after the loss against USF.

"I think after we lost to South Florida, there was not much talk about West Virginia," Rodriguez said. "Our guys kept doing what they were doing and stuck to it. There was not a change in their mentality and focus. We needed some help outside and we got it and took care of business ourselves. It's gratifying, but we are not done yet."

Along the way, West Virginia made an early statement against UConn.

"Not like we were trying to be like the Patriots and run up the score, but we had something to prove to the rest of the country," Rivers said. "There are still people out there who don't want to see West Virginia in the national championship game. This is for them."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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