The Missouri Tigers aren't out of it just yet. Bowl projections aren't putting them in the BCS. At least not yet.
While they were recording their second shutout of the season, Mizzou saw the Nebraska Cornhuskers fall to the Texas A&M Aggies. That's not any late season loss. This is Nebraska's last year in the Big 12 and it seems they're leaving a trail of haters as they roll along. No one in the Big 12 wants to see Nebraska win this thing on their way out. How perfect would it be to send them off as they blow it in the Big 12?
Last week Nebraska's lead in the Big 12 North was insurmountable (and it still is, sort of). They held the head-to-head advantage with Mizzou and sat a game up on them. There were only two games in the season remaining so Nebraska would have to lose both, and Mizzou would need to win both. They're a top 10 team in the country so I didn't think they would blow it against Texas A&M. The defense was too good to blow it, I thought. Unfortunately (for Nebraska), it wasn't the defense that was the problem as Nebraska fell, 9-6.
That puts Nebraska at 5-2 in the Big 12 North and 9-2 overall. It also puts Mizzou at 5-2 in the Big 12 North and 9-2 overall. Nebraska's victory over Mizzou ruins any tiebreaker chance for the Tigers so they'll need a Nebraska loss next week. That's it. Just one more loss.
Nebraska will get their chance against Colorado, one of the Big 12's worst teams. Missouri already shutout Colorado. Kansas put up 35 fourth quarter points to put the final nail in the coffin that got Dan Hawkins fired. If there was a single Big 12 team I'm sure Nebraska could beat, it'd probably be Colorado.
But a loss would drop Nebraska in the Big 12 North and the Tigers would slide in there. That would give Mizzou a Big 12 Championship game and an opportunity for a BCS Bowl. All the Tigers need is a chance because I think when they show up with their best, no one else in the Big 12 can hang. They showed that against Oklahoma and didn't show that against Nebraska.
The Tigers are close. It's a lot of hope right now. But maybe this ride isn't over just yet...