Week 7: Missouri at Oklahoma

ESPN’s College Game Day comes to Norman, Okla., for the 14th time. The real key is whether Mizzou shows up.

To say the 11th-ranked Tigers have had their troubles with the Sooners over the years would be a hefty understatement. OU has won four in a row against the Tigers, and 16 out of 17. MU coach Gary Pinkel is 0-6 against ranked opponents on the road, another steeeee-rike against the Tigers.

Not all of those MU teams had a signal caller like Chase Daniel, however.

Daniel produced 473 yards in total offense in the 41-6 drubbing of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. That includes a career-high 401 passing yards, part of the 606 yards the Tigers compiled against the Huskers. That’s pretty impressive stuff — unless you ask him.

“I had one good game,” said Daniel, who leads an offense that tops the country in third-down conversions at 59 percent. “So what?”

OU defensive end Alonzo Dotson is well aware of Daniel. If the Sooners don’t beat him, look for MU to ignite the Daniel-for-Heisman campaign.

“We have to make sure he feels our presence, and make him feel very uncomfortable,” said Dotson, part of a unit that is No. 6 in the nation in sacks at 3.83. “You have to go after him. You can’t wait on him to do something.”

MU probably feels the same exact way about Sooners’ QB Sam Bradford. He is leading the country in pass efficiency (187.03). It doesn’t hurt Bradford to be able to hand it off to DeMarcus Murray, who pounded Texas for 128 rushing yards.

BOTTOM LINE: Forget about the post-Texas hangover for Oklahoma. That never is an issue with a Bob Stoops-coached team at OU. The Sooners are 8-0 the week after the Red River Rivalry game with the Longhorns. Speaking of trends, Pinkel is vying to become just the second MU coach to start 6-0 twice. The Tigers looked pretty good on defense against Nebraska. But Oklahoma isn’t Nebraska, and that’s the difference.

Oklahoma by 7