1. Texas

2. Penn State

3. Alabama

4. Oklahoma

5. Oklahoma State

6. Texas Tech

7. Florida

8. Boise State

9. USC

10. Ohio State

11. Georgia

12. LSU

13. Missouri

14. Tulsa

15. South Florida

16. Pittsburgh

17. Kansas

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Utah

21. Northwestern

22. TCU

23. Ball State

24. Minnesota

25. Virginia Tech

Ouch.

Now I know how Marty felt after USC tossed the Buckeyes around like ragdolls. 

But this... this was worse.

Missouri didn't even realize the game had started until halftime.

What makes it sting more is the fact that we'll have to sit through another debacle like this December 6th at Arrowhead in the Big 12 Title game.

There is NO doubt this week who the #1 team in the nation is.

Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo is the best in the nation and will be a future HOF'er in the NFL with that kind of brutal strength and speed.

To the haters go the spoils, but don't be quick to be one of those morons saying Mizzou is a four-loss team. There is not one team left on the schedule aside from Kansas that has a chance of stopping the Tigers. Of course, it helps when all those teams are from the North division that is floundering once again after looking great at the beginning of the season.

There is NO doubt this week which division is the best in the conference as well as the nation.

The Tigers, now 5-2 after their third straight 5-0 start in as many years have pretty favorable remaining schedule. Which will set up a 10-2 Mizzou squad with dellusions of grandeur and with each of the games being televised don't expect the Tigers to take it easy on any of them.

Homecoming is this Saturday (10/25) when Colorado comes to town. The Tigers should work out some of the frustration out on those poor Buffs. Say what you want about Mizzou, they still put up 31 on the Longhorns which in my opinion is the best defense in the nation. The Buffs are lucky to score at practice, much less in a real game.

Then to Waco for a game with an improved Baylor squad on 11/1, but despite some great athletes taking up residence on campus Baylor has a defense even worse than Mizzou's. A high scoring affair for Mizzou and another win.

Then the Blackout game against Kansas State in Columbia on 11/8. Kansas State showed signs of life at the beginning of the season, but they are still two years away from being able to beat Mizzou again.

Then to Ames on 11/15 and the new look Iowa State squad that decided ugly colors were better than a marketable logo. Mizzou has had games stoeln from them in Ames in recent years due to bad officiating, but this game won't be close enough for that to happen this year.

Then to Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with our most hated rival and the most dangerous team left on the Mizzou schedule on 11/29. Well, even IF something crazy were to happen and the Jayhawks added to this debacle of a season and won, Mizzou would still go to the title game because before the two teams meet Kansas (5-2) will have lost to Texas and Texas Tech and possibly Nebraska. But it makes little difference what the records are when the Jayhawks and Tigers play each other, not matter what sport we are discussing at the moment. Still, I find it hard to imagine Tigers blowing a shot at the BCS again this year.

But then again, they are The Pretenders of the Big 12 we are talking about. They pretend to be in the same class as Texas and Oklahoma, but given the chance to prove it they fail and fail miserably. People that leave the state sometimes refer to the place as Misery, which is what Mizzou football fans have felt every year since 1969.

That was the last time Missouri won a conference championship.

Of course, there are four teams in the South that could stand in the way of Mizzou getting to the BCS at all. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are both undefeated while Oklahoma only has one loss as of yet. All of those teams face each other or Texas, so the losses will come. I find it hard to believe they would all lose three, which is what it would take for Mizzou to still get in the BCS and not have to beat Texas for the Big 12 title. So if Mizzou wants to go to the BCS dance this year, they have to win the last game of the year December 6th at Arrowhead.

If I were a betting man, I wouldn't place any money on those odds. The Homer Poll to follow later this afternoon. I am actually at work right now, so get off my ass already.

Last night, I had two TV's in the living room with the Rays/Red Sox game on at the same time. By halftime, the Rays were on the big screen and the Tigers were on the 32 inch with the sound muted. By the end of the night, there was a movie on the big screen and the Rays on the muted screen. Man, my teams know how to make a fan miserable.

Don't look now, St. Louis is beating the Cowboys.

This close to gametime I don't expect discussion, but gotta put 'em on the record here in the blogosphere anyway.

With that said, I have to put and "I TOLD YOU SO" out there for all the BYU talk I heard every week I said they were pretenders all along. Also Boise State, contenders. Period.

Mizzou 44 Texas 31

LSU 23 South Carolina 21

Oklahoma 35 Kansas 17

Georgia 17 Vanderbilt 14

Michigan State 28 Ohio State 24

Penn State 66 Michigan 13

UNLV 30 Air Force 28

Kansas State 31 Colorado 16

Navy 33 Pittsburgh 21

Alabama 31 Ole Miss 30

Bonus

Dallas Cowboys 44 St. Louis 10

You heard it here first.

The Texas bandwagon gets derailed Saturday in Austin. Put down those ugly ass burnt orange pom poms and get the black and gold back out of the closet.

As we have learned in the Big 12, there is no such thing as home field advantage. Sure it helps, but with the quarterback stockpile in the conference it is clear that it takes more than one good game to make a season.

Will it be a shootout? Absolutely, but more than likely the game will be decided on the last possession.

We could see 90 points scored in this game, but folks thought that about the OSU game as well.

On another note, is it just me, or is Chase Daniel the fastest chubby little fucker in the world or what? Perhaps that is part of his success, the defense sees his beer belly and think that he's a slow lumbering fullback. Then he zooms by and has a 30 yard rush.

No offense to Chase intended, I had similar comments made about me as a player. (not at Mizzou in case you're wondering) I was to busy working my way through school. As you can see from my new avatar, my job had some perks.

Anyway.

As disappointed as I am by last week's debacle in Columbia, the Tigers never showed up on offense and didn't play even a third as well as we can. Ever see Varsity Blues? Remember when the gang went out and hung out at the strip club and pulled an all nighter the night before a game? Yeah, but the grumbling around town has other acquisations flying around as well.

Hell, I remember partying during the Brocky IV year at Mizzou with many a player in the VIP section of a few spots downtown. But that was after we carried the goalposts to Harpo's after beating Texas. Was it that year???? Shit, things are fuzzy from the Larry Smith years nowadays.

Shit, things are fuzzy THESE days.

But enough about the Jager.

The Big 12 North will be the champion division this year. It begins again this Saturday. Then when OSU beats Texas and sets up the Redemption Bowl II, this year Mizzou will finally live up to it's talent level.

For all you Johnny-come-lately peeps that try and say that Mizzou is a fluff team that just came on the scene last year haven't been watching the Big 12. Our last QB is playing on Sundays, though as a receiver I'll grant you. But catching passes from Brett Farve has got to be fun.

But Chase will be playing at the next level despite his size. Then again Chase and Chase will be there as well. And Jeremy Maclin, of course.

Picks to come tomorrow. I am headed to the beach.

Well, I didn't get out the shotgun and blow my head off last night. Although, my head sure feels like it today.

I called for Okie State to make some noise in the south, even had some doubts going in to the game. Never though, did I worry. Not even as the 4th quarter began and we were still trailing. Then Chase decided he didn't want the Heisman and threw bonehead interceptions.

Our D-line never showed up, though our secondary did pretty well. Imagine that.

Pinkel was completely out coached inthe second half. Not as badly as in years past, but enough to make me want to kick him in the arse a few times this morning.

I called the Texas win over the Sooners, but I was not as impressed as everyone else. They were slow on offense, but stiff on defense when it came to the run. I still see a Mizzou win this coming weekend, though. Our boys are not going down two weeks in a row.

With that, all I can say is I never in a million year thought I would be ranking a Big 10 school at #1 at ANY point this season. Then again, this is Jo Pa we're talking about.

We may not have any undefeated school in the National Title game this year, though. If my Cowboys lose to the Cards today the suicide watch may be extended pending the outcome of the ALCS.

1. Penn State

2. Texas

3. Alabama

4. Oklahoma State 

5. Florida

6. Oklahoma

7. Texas Tech

8. Missouri

9. USC

10. Boise State

11. BYU

12. Georgia

13. Kansas

14. LSU

15. Utah

16. North Carolina

17. Ohio State

18. Michigan State

19. Virginia Tech

20. Wake Forest

21. Kansas State

22. California

23. Vanderbilt

24. South Florida

25. Georgia Tech