The Tigers moved up to 6th in the BCS Poll today and I am convinced now more than ever that if they run the table they will play in the National Championship game. Here is my line of thinking......

This is a weird place for Mizzou fans but you want to be rooting for Kansas and have the Jayhawks at 11-0 for that final game at Arrowhead. The other thing you want is for Oklahoma to be 11-1 heading into the Big XII Championship game. Why? Because you want the computer numbers as high as possible for those teams when Mizzou plays them.

So in this scenario Mizzou has now jumped a minimum of 2 spaces to fourth. Let's take a look at why things look really good if that scenario works out and Missouri finishes 11-1.....

#1 Ohio State

The Buckeyes have the easiest path to the national title game because they are undefeated. The best thing in the world to happen to Mizzou is for Illinois to beat Ohio State on Saturday. If this happens it will do two things. First shoot Mizzou's computer numbers up because of their win over Illinois earlier in the year. Second it will obviously leapfrog the Tigers over Ohio State. The more realistic scenario is Ohio State loses their only other game, at Michigan, clearing the path for Mizzou to leapfrog OSU. It doesn't appear the Buckeyes will do either so I would pencil them into the championship game.

#2 LSU

Mizzou I don't believe will convince enough people, even with running the table, that they are better than LSU. Because Mizzou didn't start the season highly ranked they will not have enough to pass LSU. The other thing is the SEC is tougher than the Big XII (The SEC has 7 teams in the top 25 of the BCS compared to 4 in the Big XII). So if we are honest LSU should get the bid if it comes down to Mizzou or LSU. Here is the remaining LSU schedule....

vs. Louisiana Tech Saturday (easy win)
Nov. 17 at Ole Miss (should be easy)
Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas (tougher game but should win at home)
SEC Championship vs. ?????

That championship game is really the last legitimate hope for Missouri to get past LSU.

#3 Oregon

This is where the argument would get very interesting if it came down to Mizzou or Oregon making the national championship game. Mizzou's only loss was on the road at Oklahoma. Oregon's only loss was at home against California. Even if you thought that the loss by Missouri was "worse" then you would have to show me that the Pac-10 is better than the Big XII. Looking at the top 25 in the BCS the Big XII has 3 teams in the top 6 and 4 teams in the top 14. The Pac-10 only has 3 teams in the BCS. I think Missouri would jump Oregon if they run the table but just to be safe let's hope the Ducks lose. Here is their remaining schedule.....

Nov. 15 at Arizona
Nov. 24 at UCLA
Dec. 1 vs. Oregon State

Those are three games they probably will win but it has been such a weird season anything is possible. There is so much to be excited about with Missouri football but it seems Gary Pinkel has his players in the right mindframe....take it one game at a time. But for the media and fans it sure is fun to take a peak ahead.

Tim Klutsarits

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