TEXAS GAME - OH CRAP PART DEUX

First of all, how do you leave Shipley wide the hell open all night long? I just don't get that...not marking your opponents best receiving option. But that didn't lose the game for the Tigers. They were just overmatched and apparently unprepared to face Texas, which is crazy. I though the playcalling was pretty bad for the Tiger O. When you have a QB who is struggling to walk, why would you ever run a 3rd down play where the QB could possibly run the ball? Somehow, though, this game doesn't chafe me as much as the previous two losses. This is a crossroads for the Tigers though...three consecutive losses, none particularly close (at least at the end of the game)...I think it's a legit concern that Pinkel could lose this team and they could spiral to another 3 or 4 losses their final 5 games. Hope that's not the case but it's not unfathomable.

I say it doesn't happen. Last time Mizzou lost 3 straight, in late 2006, they came back and slaughtered KU at home 42-17 which kind of marked the coming out party for the Chase Daniel-led Tiger era for 2007-2008. Perhaps the same thing will happen out in Boulder next Saturday. Last two years, Mizzou's trounced CU 113-10. I don't expect it to be quite that easy. At this point, I'll take a win in any form or fashion.

I firmly believe that every game is reasonably winnable from here on out. I didn't feel that way about Texas. We had to get every bounce and then some to have a shot. 5-3 probably wins the Big XII North and I think Missouri can get there but in order to win the NOrth for the 3rd consecutive year, the Tigers will need some help.

The season is not lost and the most difficult stretch of the schedule is behind us. I think we'll know in the first 15 minutes next Saturday what we can expect the rest of the way for the Tigers. I just pray that this doesn't turn into 2004...in that season we lost to the same three opponents consecutively, as this year, and then proceeded to lose the next two home games to KSU and KU. It's time to stop the bleeding. Let's be real...Colorado isn't a great football team. They only have one win in conference, but of course that was at home vs Kansas. Still, their resume thus far isn't appreciably worse than Mizzou's even though I firmly believe the Tigers are the better team. The wild card in all of this is Gabbert. He's not well. That ankle will be an issue the rest of the year and everybody knows that. Everytime he gets hit, Mizzou fans will wince. Every time he even looks like he'll take off running, Tigers will hold their collective breath. If he's able to go and be moderately effective, we can win out. If not...we might miss a bowl for the first time since that 2004 campaign.

We shall see.