OPINION

By Matt Hayes

updated 4:18 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2007

Matt Hayes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - There was a moment when it all came into focus. When this ever-fluctuating, frenetic season slowed to a clear, concise crawl.

The moment when the Missouri Tigers played like a national champion and Chase Daniel played like the best player in the country.

If you don't believe it now, when will you? Missouri -- yes, Missouri -- has the college football season by the coconuts after Saturday's 36-28 victory over unbeaten Kansas. And Daniel, the Tigers' fire hydrant of a quarterback, has both hands on the Heisman Trophy.

When the BCS rankings are released Sunday, Missouri will be on top -- the third different No. 1 team since the first release of the rankings in October. Now all the Tigers need is a win next week against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game to advance to the BCS national championship game in New Orleans.

That scenario will almost surely give Daniel the school's first Heisman Trophy.

"Just give it to him, man," Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin says. "He earned it."

All it took was one drive -- one, see-you, raise-you drive -- to prove that point. When Kansas cut the lead to 21-7 midway through the third quarter and built momentum, Missouri responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that ended with Daniel's third touchdown pass of the game and a 28-7 lead.

And then it happened again. And again -- and yes, again.

Every time Kansas tried to punch back in the second half, Missouri and Daniel responded with a staggering blow, reaffirming that this team -- unlike others over the past six weeks -- wasn't going to crumble under the enormity of the BCS race.

Looking for your Heisman moment? Here it was: the entire second half, when Missouri did what no other team could over the last month of the season. No. 1 was there for the taking, and Daniel willed the Tigers to squeeze every ounce out of the moment.

"You saw it, America saw it," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel says. "Chase Daniel; that guy is special. Every time we needed a play, he made it."

In one magical night, Daniel went 40-of-49 passing -- an astounding 82 percent of his throws -- against the nation's No. 2 scoring defense. He threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns (with no interceptions), and carried the Tigers in the season's biggest game.

That's what Heisman performances are all about: big performances in big games. And after the events of this week, there was no bigger game than this mini-playoff.

If Heisman winners and championship teams walk hand in hand -- and more times than not, they do -- there is no other choice for the award. Just like there is no other choice for No. 1.

"This thing is far from over," Missouri defensive end Lorenzo Williams says. "One big game leads to another big game."

And another chance for Chase Daniel to define this team and this moment.

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