The Impossible Can Be Done: Go Mizzou!

Being a Missouri Tiger fan, I have been used to a lot of disappointment in the sports arena. Hey I even still root for the Kansas City Royals. That alone you think would cause me to seriously consider new interests. But this week, I am pinching myself. Are the Tigers really ranked top in the nation in football, my favorite sport? Is it really possible that they are one win away from being in the national championship game?
Although last Saturday night was a big win against Kansas, the true acid test for this new collegiate gridiron power will be this coming weekend in San Antonio against the Oklahoma Sooners for the Big 12 title. The Sooners are the only blemish to the Tigers' record as the lone defeat for Missouri did happen in a mistake-prone game in front of a hostile Norman crowd. To be able to get revenge (if you call it that) and beat OU after the earlier loss will definitely add credibility to their top ranking. Plus to step back for a second, if you look at it right, having your only loss be to the Oklahoma Sooners is still an excellent year. You didn't lose to an Appalachian State or to a South Florida when you lost to OU. The Sooners are a power and are seasoned to big games with a national audience and they face them with confidence. The difference for Mizzou from that first game with OU to the upcoming one, is they have finally experienced some of the national spotlight themselves. But of course, the game itself will be the test. And as it always seems, the Sooners will be ready.
A lot of credit has to be given to Head Coach Gary Pinkel. When he arrived at Missouri, he had to have been overwhelmed by the negativity the state was slinging at the football program. Almost none of the state's decent high school talent would commit to such a dismal situation. Probably to some fans' dislike, it took Pinkel awhile to overcome all this, but I salute him for doing it. There truly was not a band-aid, quick-fix option to the problem and Pinkel could have easily walked away to a more appreciative program (and fans) during those lean years of rebuilding. But again, he didn't, and with a gradual step-by-step approach, he got the program to be more succuessful and more attractive to the in-state talent, and this years squad has a lot of Missouri in it. That is what makes it even more special for the state. It is our kids doing it, not recruits from Texas or Floride, etc. The Mizzou football program has had a lot more bowl participation during this Pinkel era than it has had for quite awhile. So again, thanks, Coach. You have already accomplished what some deemed impossible, and you showed the fans here in the "Show-Me State" that it can be done.
Now Tigers, lets pass the test. Go Mizzou!