#21 Nebraska vs #24 Missouri

Nebraska vs. Missouri

This initially sounds like a pretty good game between two good Big 12 teams, but when you look at the rankings, it is odd that Nebraska is ranked #21, while Missouri is barely on the top 25 at #24. What’s up with that?

And for that matter, how important is this game?

Well I’ll be watching, you can bet your remote on that!

So, who has the advantage? If you have read some of my blogs, you know I like to start back a year, and then add on what has transpired so far this year, so let’s step into the Way-Back Machine (patent pending) and look at these two teams a year ago:

Nebraska is one of those teams who in the past were too smart for their own good, and had to reap the benefits of what they sown. Remember a few years ago they felt that their coach, who gave them NINE wins that year, was not good enough, so they got rid of him, expecting another coach to step in. But as it turned out, that coach didn’t want the job, and it made Nebraska look like idiots for getting rid of a very good coach for…nobody.

There’s that Nebraska education for ya.

But they eventually DID get a coach, but things just haven’t been the same. But maybe things are back on the upswing. The Cornhuskers finished 9-4 last year, and might be knocking on the door as the next squad of Big 12 power teams. They started the season last year 3-0, scoring tons of points in wins over Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State.

The problem came when the played a real team in Virginia Tech, and lost 35-30. It continued when they lost to Missouri at home 52-17. That old strategy of stringing up a bunch of home games doesn’t always work.

The losing carried over when Nebraska went on the road and lost to Texas Tech 35-7 before winning their first road game at Iowa State. They would beat Baylor at home before losing to Oklahoma on the road to get the record to 5-4, but would win their last 4 games over Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado and Clemson, all pretty convincingly at that.

Missouri had one of those magical years, where everybody was talking about the powerful Big 12, and Missouri was one of them. A 10-4 record, this team jumped to a 5-0 start, knocking off Illinois, Southeast Missouri State, Nevada, Buffalo and Nebraska. But the big game vs. Oklahoma State was their stumbling block, as they got their first loss of they year.

They took the second loss to Texas before rebounding against Colorado, Baylor and Kansas State. The Tigers would win one more game, at home vs. Iowa State, before losing two games to Kansas and Oklahoma, before pulling off a close win vs. Northwestern in a bowl game.

Fast forward to this year, 2009.

Nebraska, at 3-1 comes in ranked #21, but has only beaten Florida Atlantic (49-3), Arkansas State (38-9) and Louisiana-Lafayette (55-0)…what?

THIS is why they are #21???

They lost to Virginia Tech 16-15, but why is this team ranked with these wins? This is much how it went last year, scheduling multiple cupcakes at home to bolster a record. Geez, Notre Dame is whining about why their 4-1 record does not put them on the top 25, their schedule is at least a LITTLE better than this.

Why don’t you go ahead and schedule all the OTHER teams in the Sun Belt? Combined, the 3 teams Nebraska beat are currently 3-9. Hardly a top 25 team.

Yet if they beat Missouri, then a 4-1 record would be hard to deny to the top 25.

Missouri is currently 4-0, and have wins over Illinois, Bowling Green, Nevada and Furman. I’ll be honest, this is a better list than Nebraska’s. I don’t quite get why they are ranked lower than Nebraska, but this is one of those arguments that will be settled on the field in a short time from now.

Both teams are coming with new quarterbacks, at least from last year, but Mizz comes in as the 10th ranked passing team in the nation…they like to air it out. Where is Nebraska? Around number 33, which makes a difference of about 60 yards passing per game. But therein is a difference….Missouri has 4 more touchdowns by passing than Nebraska.

But the rushing game is different, Nebraska has 10 rushing touchdowns, but Missouri has only 4. This is a team known for rushing, but times apparently have changed. Is this change good for Nebraska? Well, they lost to Missouri last year in their house, now they are playing on the road. Two of the 4 games they lost last year were on the road, against quality opponents. If you consider Missouri a quality foe, and at 4-0 why don’t you, then this could be a loss to Nebraska.

But if Missouri has lost their luster after Chase Daniel left, then this could be every bit as close as it may seem. But I gotta favor the home team this time, by 3 points. Tigers over the Cornhuskers.