Peter Newcomb / Reuters

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, left, and wide receiver Tommy Saunders celebrate the Tigers' 36-28 victory over rival Kansas on Saturday night. The win earned Missouri a trip to the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma.

Oklahoma, the Big 12 South champ, is the only team to beat Mizzou this season, a 41-31 loss in Norman last month. The Tigers were a few untimely turnovers away from knocking off the Sooners on the road, and they know it.

And now, that gives Missouri the motivation not to have a KU hangover as they head into next Saturday night’s game.

“(After the OU loss) we came into the locker room and said that we need to see them again,” said defensive back Castine Bridges. “Now it is happening, we get to play them again. We get to compete with them and show them a better game.”

Against Kansas, Missouri showed a primetime television audience that it has a wealth of offensive talent, arguably as impressive as any team in the country. It also showed that its chunky QB Chase Daniel deserves to have his name remain at or near the top of every Heisman Trophy voter’s ballot with less than two weeks remaining before the December 6^th voting deadline.

“You saw it. America saw it,” said Pinkel. “They saw this guy in adverse conditions in the fourth quarter (temperatures were in the low 30s) who had to make plays, and he made them. I’m going to be the first to tell you this guy is special. I’ve been saying it for a year and a half, and America got to see today how special he is.”

Daniel kept making plays just like he always does, chugging around in the pocket, cool and calmly making every big-play pass he needed to throughout the game. It may or may not have done been as flashy as Florida’s tall and talented Tim Tebow. It may not look as fluid and athletic as Arkansas’ electrifying Dareen McFadden.

But Daniel and the Missouri Tigers have done more than enough to prove that they belong among the best and brightest in college football.

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