DAVE MATTER'S BIG 12 FOOTBALL NOTES

Published Monday, September 15, 2008

Sooners, Tigers look like early favorites

At this early stage in the college football season, anything but a rematch in the Big 12 Conference championship would qualify as a surprise. After three weeks, No. 2 Oklahoma (3-0) and No. 5 Missouri (3-0) have given every indication they’re on a collision course for another showdown for the conference title. Their quarterbacks appear poised for a December date in Times Square, too.

With quarterback Chase Daniel looking like the early Heisman favorite, the Tigers lead the country in total offense (597.3 yards per game) and scoring offense (57.7 points per game).

With Sam Bradford piloting their offense, the Sooners are close behind, ranking fifth nationally in both offense (556.7) and scoring (54.7). Oklahoma has reached the end zone almost as quickly as the Tigers. Missouri has an NCAA-best 11 touchdown drives of less than 2 minutes. California has 10, while Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have nine each.

With the start of conference play still two weeks away, Daniel and Bradford have the makings of what could be a thrilling race for postseason honors. Both rank among the top four nationally in passing touchdowns and efficiency rating.

The most promising development for Missouri’s championship hopes might have come on the other side of the ball in Saturday’s 69-17 win over Nevada. After giving up two touchdown drives in the first half, including a last-second 42-yard scoring pass before heading into the locker room, the Tigers buckled down in the second half. Nevada never got closer than MU’s 41-yard line in the second half and converted just 2 of 10 third downs.

"I thought it was OK," Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel said of his defense. "We substituted quite a bit in the fourth quarter and got most of our starters out."

With Ohio State’s loss at Southern California, the Tigers climbed a spot in both polls to No. 5.

Oklahoma moved up a spot after blasting Washington 55-14 in Seattle. The Sooners had been No. 3 but traded spots with Georgia (3-0), which needed a late takeaway to escape South Carolina with a 14-7 win.

Texas (2-0) had its game against Arkansas postponed but moved up one spot to No. 7. Texas Tech defeated SMU and climbed one spot to No. 11. Kansas (2-1) dropped six spots to No. 19 after losing at South Florida on Friday. Oklahoma State and Nebraska both received votes.

Missouri update

Buffalo, N.Y., is known for Tim Russert, chicken wings and breaking hearts on Super Bowl Sunday, but it also has ties to the Missouri Tigers. Pinkel’s dad, George, and late mother, Gay, lived in Buffalo until they moved to Akron, Ohio, where Pinkel grew up.

"Up until the time I was about 25, I was there all the time. It’s a great city," Pinkel said. "Niagara Falls and the whole bit."

On Saturday, the Tigers conclude nonconference play when the Buffalo Bulls (2-1) of the Mid-American Conference come to Columbia. Buffalo, a program that was dormant from 1971-77 then moved up from the Division I-AA ranks in 1999, is coached by former Nebraska quarterback and assistant Turner Gill.

Another Brad Smith record is about to go down, but this time it’s not Chase Daniel on the prowl. Senior kicker Jeff Wolfert needs 21 points to break Smith’s MU career scoring record of 284 points. After booting two field goals and nine PATs Saturday against Nevada, Wolfert was named the Big 12 Conference special teams player of the week. Wolfert has converted 91 consecutive kicks dating back to last season, including 27 for 27 this year.

Rising star in Waco

The Big 12 has a new YouTube-worthy playmaker. And he’s from, of all places, Baylor.

Freshman quarterback Robert Griffin put on a show in the Bears’ 45-17 victory over Washington State on Friday, running for a school-record 217 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for another 129 and a score. In just his second college start, the 6-foot-3 Griffin was named the Big 12 offensive player of the week after breaking off three runs of 57 yards or more. Griffin’s most dazzling highlight came on a 27-yard touchdown pass when he scrambled from one sideline to the other before launching a missile off his back foot.

"Everything that he’s done, honestly, hasn’t been a surprise to us at all," Baylor Coach Art Briles said.

He said it

"In my opinion, college football is made for Saturdays. That’s the way we like to do it. But winning or losing had no bearing on what day we played." - Kansas Coach Mark Mangino on the possibility of playing another Friday night game after his Jayhawks lost 37-34 at South Florida last Friday

Tribune power poll

1. Missouri (3-0)
2. Oklahoma (3-0)
3. Texas (2-0)
4. Texas Tech (3-0)
5. Kansas (2-1)
6. Oklahoma State (3-0)
7. Nebraska (3-0)
8. Colorado (2-0)
9. Kansas State (2-0)
10. Baylor (1-2)
11. Iowa State (2-1)
12. Texas A&M (1-1)

Game of the week

W. Virginia at Colorado,
Thursday
7:30 p.m. (ESPN)