Growing up a Tiger fan, there was a lot of pain. I was 9, nearly 10 years old before Mizzou saw a winning football season. I've sit through a lot of games, the first coming back in 1992, and until I went to college, most of those games I sat through were losses. Now, unlike my good friend Ben Herrold, I don't know the exact number of Mizzou football games I've been to in my life. It's a lot. However, in a rare occurrence, I wasn't one of the 71,000 plus fans on hand at Faurot Field. But, watching the game on TV, and seeing Mizzou break-through and beat the Sooners for the first time since 1998, and only the second time in my life, I was just as happy and satisfied.
Growing up, for me at least, the bully of the bygone days of the Big 8 was Nebraska. That football team that we couldn't EVER beat, and in the meantime was not only winning conference titles, but some national titles as well. It didn't much matter though, because Missouri was never very good. A losing streak against the Huskers that began in 1979 didn't end until 2003. However, since that time, Nebraska has taken a back seat for me, as I'm sure they have for most Mizzou fans, and the disdain has been directed at Oklahoma.
For all the crap I give Gary Pinkel (some deserving, some just bitterness), he has had Mizzou on the brink of national prominence many times, and the program has seen more sustained success then at any point since the Dan Devine era. The one team that time and time again stood in the way of the Tiger's push to the top, has been Oklahoma. In 2007, Mizzou rose to #11 and traveled to Norman to play the Sooners. Mizzou would blow a 4th quarter lead and wind up losing, 41-31. However, the Tigers picked themselves up off the mat, and didn't lose another game all year. The Tigers rose to #1 in the nation for only the second time in school history and found themselves one win away from playing for a national title. Only the Big XII title game against the Sooners stood in the way. We all remember what happened. Mizzou lost 38-17. The Tigers would win a horrible north the next year in 2008 only to be crushed 62-21 by the Sooners in the conference title game again. After a transitional year in 2009, no one was quite sure what to make of the 2010 group.
Now, the night after this 2010 team's 36-27 win over a Sooner team that sat atop the BCS rankings, it looks as though Pinkel and the Tigers have FINALLY broken through. It's taken 10 years, but Pinkel has Mizzou 6th in the BCS and he's notched his first win over Oklahoma. He didn't do it with a flashy offense and a finesse team that doesn't play much defense or run the ball much. He did it with a hard nosed TEAM. No real superstars, just the ability to go toe to toe in the trenches and on both sides of the ball with the nations elite. This years group, no matter what happens, aren't going to get out "physical-ed". No, this team is different. People will still say that the 2007 win over Kansas in the "Armageddon at Arrowhead" is Pinkel's biggest win. Right now, on the sole fact we rose to #1 because of it, and it was a battle of top 5 teams that bitterly hate each other, I'd agree. However, if Mizzou can win this coming weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska (a place where wins have been hard to come by for Mizzou), last nights win has a chance to take the top spot. If Mizzou keeps winning, really, each game from here on it becomes the biggest game. Maybe, just maybe this Tiger team can take that step that Pinkel's other teams failed to do and win the league. Or, maybe, this group can take the step that no Tiger team has ever taken, and bring a national title to Columbia.
But right now, all that matters is Coach Pinkel is no longer winless against the Sooners, and that Missouri has finally earned some national respect.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Worst Sports Losses of my Lifetime/Tough To Be a Mizzou Fan
Due in large part to a Twitter conversation from this evening, and a YouTube video recommendation regarding an NCAA tournament incident, I wanted to share some thoughts on some of the worst sports losses I can remember, and also share some thoughts as to why it's hard to be a Missouri Tigers fan.
Worst Losses (no particular order)
1. 2004 World Series- This one was extremely tough for me to take. As a die hard Cardinals fan, I eat, sleep and breathe Cardinals baseball during the season, and if so fortunate, during the playoffs. The 04' Redbirds won 105 games and seemed a well-oiled machine by the time the playoffs rolled around. After a pretty easy division series, the Card's had to beat Astros ace, Roger Clemens in game 7 of the NLCS to win the pennant. However, they were facing a Red Sox team fresh beating their arch-rival Yankees in the ALCS. They were the first team to come from a three games to none deficit and win a playoff series. Still, they hadn't won a world title since 1918. However, they swept the Card's 4-0, and before you knew it, it was all over. It left a bitter taste in my mouth that will never be completely washed out, and was only softened by the clubs 2006 world title.
2. 2005 NLCS- The 'birds again reached 100 wins in 2005, and in the NLCS found themselves facing the Astros for the second consecutive year. Even though this series gave me one of my greatest sports memories (Albert Pujol's bomb off Brad Lidge with the Card's facing elimination), the defeat was tough. I had grown to hate that group of Astros and their "killer B's". I badly wanted a World Series ring after being so close the year before, but once again, the Cards came up just short.
3. 2002 Elite Eight- By the time the 2002 NCAA tournament started, the Missouri Tigers weren't supposed to make it out of the first round, let alone the elite eight. However, the 12th seeded Tiger got hot at the right time and beat Miami (FL), Ohio State, and UCLA in route to the elite eight where they faced conference rival, Oklahoma. Missouri is a proud basketball program and the only thing missing of it's otherwise very solid resume, is a final four (something I still DESPERATELY want). The Tigers fought hard but came up short losing 81-75. It didn't help that it seemed Tiger G Clarence Gilbert couldn't hit a shot, or that Arthur Johnson couldn't hit a free throw, or that Kareem Rush fouled out in the crucial final minutes of the game. The morning after this loss is vivid to me. I woke up to the Eagles song "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and was looking at my "Thank You, Clarence!" poster from senior day at Mizzou that season. It was sad.
4. 2009 Elite Eight- The 2009 Tigers came out of nowhere to end up with 31 wins and a 12-4 Big XII mark. When the tourney came around, Mizzou was a 3rd seed, and had some favorable match ups in the first couple rounds. After a slow start, they cruised by Cornell, but then had to fight hard to beat Marquette. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Tigers started fast and dominated 2nd seeded Memphis to once again reach the elite eight. Once again, Mizzou fought hard, but a second half scoring drought and an unbelievable shot by UConn's Kemba Walker led to Mizzou losing in the round of 8 for the fourth time (5th if you count the time when only 8 teams made the tourney and Mizzou was one of them) in school history.
5. 2007 Big XII Championship- What a magical year it had been for the Mizzou Tigers football team. They had finished the season 11-1 (7-1 Big XII) and were fresh off a 36-28 win over the hated, arch-rival Kansas Jayhawks. The Beakers came into the game ranked 2nd in the nation, but Mizzou won, and coupled with a loss by LSU, ascended to #1 in the country for just the second time in school history. Their only regular season loss came on the road to the Oklahoma Sooners, the team they now faced in the conference title game. Not only was revenge on the line for the Tigers, but a trip to the National title game was on the line as well. It was good for a half, with the game tied up 14-14. However, Mizzou mustered only a field goal in the second half and lost 38-17 knocking them out of the title game and leaving a bitter taste in my mouth (mainly due to the fact, that the game could've very well been Mizzou's best chance to play for a national title in my lifetime).
6. 2003 Big XII Tournament Championship- This one probably in the grand scheme of things is a loss Mizzou fans don't take all that hard. It's just one that has always stuck with me, and for reasons I can't explain, this loss really gets to me. The 2003 Missouri Tigers were already tournament bound when this game came around. It was only a matter of seeding by this point. They were facing a pretty darn good Oklahoma team. After the first half, things looked bleak, but the Tigers dominated the second half playing stout defense and finally beginning to put the ball in the hoop. In the waning seconds of the game, with the Tigers trailing 49-47, Mizzou forward Rickey Paulding drove the lane and put up a lay-up attempt that went just off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded. I can't explain it, but that loss hurt and still hurts bad. Mizzou would go on to lose in overtime against Marquette in the round of 32 in the NCAA tourney.
7. 1994 Elite Eight- I was all of six years old when this game was played, but I was deeply involved with Mizzou tournament run. The '94 Tigers went 14-0 in Big 8 play and entered the tourney as a #1 seed. They faced Arizona in the elite eight, but were thoroughly beaten. As the final minutes ticked by, I remember sitting in my upstairs living room almost on the verge of tears, but I didn't cry, because midway through the second half, it was apparent it wasn't Mizzou's night.
8. Super Bowl XXXVI- The St. Louis Rams were a heavy favorite in this game. They had rolled through the '01-'02 season with a 14-2 mark. They faced the underdog New England Patriots. The upstart Patriots begin a dynasty with a 20-17 win on an Adam Vinetari field goal as time expired.
9. 2004 NFL Divisional Playoff Game- The Kansas City Chiefs had started the year 9-0 and finished 13-3 and were the second seed in the AFC. They hosted the Colts at Arrowhead, and lost a heck of a shoot out, 38-31. Neither team punted. It was unreal. Still, it was just another Chiefs playoff disappointment. One that still has me riled up (no disrespect to Payton Manning).
Honorable mention:
1. 1996 St. Louis Cardinals NLCS loss to Braves
2. 2008 Mizzou football loss to Oklahoma State
3. Any horse since 2000 that won the first two legs of the triple crown, but failed at Belmont (especially Smarty Jones and Big Brown).
4. St. Louis Rams playoff loss to New Orleans Saints in 2001
Last, just a few thoughts about my life as a Mizzou fan. Let me say this: it's hard. There have been some really good times, but there have also been some really bad times. It wasn't until I was 9 years old that Mizzou football had a winning season. They had back to back winning years in '97 and '98, but then fell back into a drought that lasted until 2003. Mizzou teams with high expectations have fizzled in my lifetime, chiefly the 2004 football team. From 2002-2004 the hoops team dramatically underachieved when one considers the talent on the roster. In the long history of the football program, they have been more bad then good. There have been some bright spots here or there, but many experts on college football consider Mizzou to be on of the most under-achieving football schools of all time. Sure, they have a .544 all time winning percentage, but they are 12-15 all time in bowl games. But hey, at least they've been to 23 of them, right? The team has won 15 overall conference titles, but the last one came in 1969. I repeat, 1969. People will argue that current coach Gary Pinkel has the Tigers on the right track. They've played in 5 straight bowl games (this year will probably be 6) and played in bowls six of the last seasons. They also won back to back North division titles in 2007 and 2008, but for the most part, it was a weak North. My point is, when a program that has been playing football since 1890 hasn't won a conference title since 1969, and has only once sniffed at a national title since 1960, I expect more. The recruiting base and the facilities are there, yet the Tigers consistently put out mediocre to bad teams, sprinkled in with some good/great years every now and again. Long suffering Tiger fans deserve more. Now, I could go into greater detail, but I'll end here. I'm depressed enough just thinking about this stuff.
As for the basketball team, the program has been historically good. Long time coach Norm Stewart is considered to be one of the greats of the game, though even he seemed to fail to win key NCAA tourney games. The hoops team also has won 15 regular season league titles, but none since 1994. They've won the league tournament 7 times. They've been to 7 sweet sixteens and 4 (some say 5) elite eight's. Here's the real kicker: they have the second most NCAA tournament appearances of all time without a final four appearance with 24 (BYU has the most). That number by itself is good enough to be tied for the 22nd most appearances of all time (which is pretty good considering the number of schools that compete in division one basketball). Most experts have the overall program ranked anywhere from the mid 20's to the mid 30's when ranking the greatest programs ever, so just imagine what a final four and a big 12 title would do for this team. It's just so hard, when even in my lifetime, the team has been on the brink of a final four three times, and failed to do so each time.
I could go on and on about the questionable decisions of current AD Mike Alden, the antics of former hoops coach (and my ex arch-nemesis) Quin Snyder and the bad luck that has frequently befallen the football team (5th down, kick and catch, etc) but I'll end here. To be brutally honest, Mizzou is a program competing in big time college athletics, that is, for the most part, mired in mediocrity, even though grand success has been just a breath away at times. The program, both of them, should be better. With the football program, who knows. However, current hoops coach Mike Anderson has Mizzou basketball headed right back up again, and I predict he brings a final four to Columbia by 2011. If he does that, it won't be so hard to be Mizzou fan. Here's hoping...
Worst Losses (no particular order)
1. 2004 World Series- This one was extremely tough for me to take. As a die hard Cardinals fan, I eat, sleep and breathe Cardinals baseball during the season, and if so fortunate, during the playoffs. The 04' Redbirds won 105 games and seemed a well-oiled machine by the time the playoffs rolled around. After a pretty easy division series, the Card's had to beat Astros ace, Roger Clemens in game 7 of the NLCS to win the pennant. However, they were facing a Red Sox team fresh beating their arch-rival Yankees in the ALCS. They were the first team to come from a three games to none deficit and win a playoff series. Still, they hadn't won a world title since 1918. However, they swept the Card's 4-0, and before you knew it, it was all over. It left a bitter taste in my mouth that will never be completely washed out, and was only softened by the clubs 2006 world title.
2. 2005 NLCS- The 'birds again reached 100 wins in 2005, and in the NLCS found themselves facing the Astros for the second consecutive year. Even though this series gave me one of my greatest sports memories (Albert Pujol's bomb off Brad Lidge with the Card's facing elimination), the defeat was tough. I had grown to hate that group of Astros and their "killer B's". I badly wanted a World Series ring after being so close the year before, but once again, the Cards came up just short.
3. 2002 Elite Eight- By the time the 2002 NCAA tournament started, the Missouri Tigers weren't supposed to make it out of the first round, let alone the elite eight. However, the 12th seeded Tiger got hot at the right time and beat Miami (FL), Ohio State, and UCLA in route to the elite eight where they faced conference rival, Oklahoma. Missouri is a proud basketball program and the only thing missing of it's otherwise very solid resume, is a final four (something I still DESPERATELY want). The Tigers fought hard but came up short losing 81-75. It didn't help that it seemed Tiger G Clarence Gilbert couldn't hit a shot, or that Arthur Johnson couldn't hit a free throw, or that Kareem Rush fouled out in the crucial final minutes of the game. The morning after this loss is vivid to me. I woke up to the Eagles song "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and was looking at my "Thank You, Clarence!" poster from senior day at Mizzou that season. It was sad.
4. 2009 Elite Eight- The 2009 Tigers came out of nowhere to end up with 31 wins and a 12-4 Big XII mark. When the tourney came around, Mizzou was a 3rd seed, and had some favorable match ups in the first couple rounds. After a slow start, they cruised by Cornell, but then had to fight hard to beat Marquette. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Tigers started fast and dominated 2nd seeded Memphis to once again reach the elite eight. Once again, Mizzou fought hard, but a second half scoring drought and an unbelievable shot by UConn's Kemba Walker led to Mizzou losing in the round of 8 for the fourth time (5th if you count the time when only 8 teams made the tourney and Mizzou was one of them) in school history.
5. 2007 Big XII Championship- What a magical year it had been for the Mizzou Tigers football team. They had finished the season 11-1 (7-1 Big XII) and were fresh off a 36-28 win over the hated, arch-rival Kansas Jayhawks. The Beakers came into the game ranked 2nd in the nation, but Mizzou won, and coupled with a loss by LSU, ascended to #1 in the country for just the second time in school history. Their only regular season loss came on the road to the Oklahoma Sooners, the team they now faced in the conference title game. Not only was revenge on the line for the Tigers, but a trip to the National title game was on the line as well. It was good for a half, with the game tied up 14-14. However, Mizzou mustered only a field goal in the second half and lost 38-17 knocking them out of the title game and leaving a bitter taste in my mouth (mainly due to the fact, that the game could've very well been Mizzou's best chance to play for a national title in my lifetime).
6. 2003 Big XII Tournament Championship- This one probably in the grand scheme of things is a loss Mizzou fans don't take all that hard. It's just one that has always stuck with me, and for reasons I can't explain, this loss really gets to me. The 2003 Missouri Tigers were already tournament bound when this game came around. It was only a matter of seeding by this point. They were facing a pretty darn good Oklahoma team. After the first half, things looked bleak, but the Tigers dominated the second half playing stout defense and finally beginning to put the ball in the hoop. In the waning seconds of the game, with the Tigers trailing 49-47, Mizzou forward Rickey Paulding drove the lane and put up a lay-up attempt that went just off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded. I can't explain it, but that loss hurt and still hurts bad. Mizzou would go on to lose in overtime against Marquette in the round of 32 in the NCAA tourney.
7. 1994 Elite Eight- I was all of six years old when this game was played, but I was deeply involved with Mizzou tournament run. The '94 Tigers went 14-0 in Big 8 play and entered the tourney as a #1 seed. They faced Arizona in the elite eight, but were thoroughly beaten. As the final minutes ticked by, I remember sitting in my upstairs living room almost on the verge of tears, but I didn't cry, because midway through the second half, it was apparent it wasn't Mizzou's night.
8. Super Bowl XXXVI- The St. Louis Rams were a heavy favorite in this game. They had rolled through the '01-'02 season with a 14-2 mark. They faced the underdog New England Patriots. The upstart Patriots begin a dynasty with a 20-17 win on an Adam Vinetari field goal as time expired.
9. 2004 NFL Divisional Playoff Game- The Kansas City Chiefs had started the year 9-0 and finished 13-3 and were the second seed in the AFC. They hosted the Colts at Arrowhead, and lost a heck of a shoot out, 38-31. Neither team punted. It was unreal. Still, it was just another Chiefs playoff disappointment. One that still has me riled up (no disrespect to Payton Manning).
Honorable mention:
1. 1996 St. Louis Cardinals NLCS loss to Braves
2. 2008 Mizzou football loss to Oklahoma State
3. Any horse since 2000 that won the first two legs of the triple crown, but failed at Belmont (especially Smarty Jones and Big Brown).
4. St. Louis Rams playoff loss to New Orleans Saints in 2001
Last, just a few thoughts about my life as a Mizzou fan. Let me say this: it's hard. There have been some really good times, but there have also been some really bad times. It wasn't until I was 9 years old that Mizzou football had a winning season. They had back to back winning years in '97 and '98, but then fell back into a drought that lasted until 2003. Mizzou teams with high expectations have fizzled in my lifetime, chiefly the 2004 football team. From 2002-2004 the hoops team dramatically underachieved when one considers the talent on the roster. In the long history of the football program, they have been more bad then good. There have been some bright spots here or there, but many experts on college football consider Mizzou to be on of the most under-achieving football schools of all time. Sure, they have a .544 all time winning percentage, but they are 12-15 all time in bowl games. But hey, at least they've been to 23 of them, right? The team has won 15 overall conference titles, but the last one came in 1969. I repeat, 1969. People will argue that current coach Gary Pinkel has the Tigers on the right track. They've played in 5 straight bowl games (this year will probably be 6) and played in bowls six of the last seasons. They also won back to back North division titles in 2007 and 2008, but for the most part, it was a weak North. My point is, when a program that has been playing football since 1890 hasn't won a conference title since 1969, and has only once sniffed at a national title since 1960, I expect more. The recruiting base and the facilities are there, yet the Tigers consistently put out mediocre to bad teams, sprinkled in with some good/great years every now and again. Long suffering Tiger fans deserve more. Now, I could go into greater detail, but I'll end here. I'm depressed enough just thinking about this stuff.
As for the basketball team, the program has been historically good. Long time coach Norm Stewart is considered to be one of the greats of the game, though even he seemed to fail to win key NCAA tourney games. The hoops team also has won 15 regular season league titles, but none since 1994. They've won the league tournament 7 times. They've been to 7 sweet sixteens and 4 (some say 5) elite eight's. Here's the real kicker: they have the second most NCAA tournament appearances of all time without a final four appearance with 24 (BYU has the most). That number by itself is good enough to be tied for the 22nd most appearances of all time (which is pretty good considering the number of schools that compete in division one basketball). Most experts have the overall program ranked anywhere from the mid 20's to the mid 30's when ranking the greatest programs ever, so just imagine what a final four and a big 12 title would do for this team. It's just so hard, when even in my lifetime, the team has been on the brink of a final four three times, and failed to do so each time.
I could go on and on about the questionable decisions of current AD Mike Alden, the antics of former hoops coach (and my ex arch-nemesis) Quin Snyder and the bad luck that has frequently befallen the football team (5th down, kick and catch, etc) but I'll end here. To be brutally honest, Mizzou is a program competing in big time college athletics, that is, for the most part, mired in mediocrity, even though grand success has been just a breath away at times. The program, both of them, should be better. With the football program, who knows. However, current hoops coach Mike Anderson has Mizzou basketball headed right back up again, and I predict he brings a final four to Columbia by 2011. If he does that, it won't be so hard to be Mizzou fan. Here's hoping...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Baseball's End and Other Thoughts of Autumn Sports
The last day of Major League Baseball's regular season is always one full of mixed emotions for the baseball fan. It's particularly sad when your team isn't heading to the playoffs, as is the case with this years St. Louis Cardinals. Knowing there's no more baseball until April always gets me. The true fan watches from April until October, regardless of where the club is in the standings. They watch for the love of the game. They watch, if for no other reason (at least sometimes in my case) just to watch Albert Pujols or some other player, waiting for that moment when they do something amazing. Of course, it's always more exciting when the teams in a pennant race, but nevertheless, we watch. It's with us most everyday through the long, hot summer months. It gives us a reprieve from work or whatever else may be going on at the time. For three hours, we just get to sit and watch the most talented players on the planet play the game we love. The thing I love about baseball, is the way the drama unfolds; slowly at first, but mounting more and more tension with each passing game and month until you're hanging on each pitch. People like to say (sometimes in regards to a team's slow start, or a players struggles, or position in the standings) "Well...it's only April." Or, "It's early." Sure, there's 162 games, and there's going to be ups and downs, but every pitch matters. From pitch 1 of the season opener, to the last pitch in the season finale. It all matters. Don't tell a team that finished ONE game out of a playoff spot that one game doesn't matter, it simply does.
When you follow a team, and give that much time to them for six months, it's always sad to see it go, but it's always fun to look back and remember some of the great moments of the season. In the end, however, I'm always sad to see it go. A sports fan like me has football and basketball to get me through the fall and winter, but I always anxiously await April, and the return of the Redbirds, and of our national past time.
Other Random Thoughts
Baseball said goodbye this year to among the last "old school" baseball guys. Joe Torre, Lou Piniella, and Bobby Cox all announced that they're hanging it up after the season (it remains to be seen about Tony LaRussa). Between the three, there are a great number of wins, division titles, pennants and world series rings, and it's sad to see guys from that era leave. That's why I'm extremely happy that the Atlanta Braves got it together for Bobby Cox one last time and made the playoffs as a wildcard, and I wish them all the best throughout the post-season. That's where my rooting interest will lie.
I'd like to take this moment to give a shout-out to my good friend, Caleb Barron. Before the NFL season started, he looked at the Rams first 5 games and stated that it's not unreasonable to think that they could win 3 of them. They sit at 2-2 heading into next weeks game with the Detroit Lions. It's a winnable game, but Detroit hasn't been too awful, and it's on the road. It's hard to win on the road in the NFL. My point here is, the Rams could very easily be 4-0 right now. They've dominated the Redskins and the Seahawks the last two weeks, and lost 17-13 to Arizona in the opener where they squandered a second half lead, and fell in Oakland in week 2, 16-14. Now, I'm not saying the Rams are great, but perhaps Mr. Barron isn't as insane as he sounded a few weeks back...at least when it comes to the Rams first five games. Everything else is up for debate...
Finally, the last decidedly winnable game on Mizzou's schedule for a long time is this weekend against Colorado. The scary thing is, the Buff's looked like a competent team against Georgia on Saturday night, but that was a Georgia team that is reeling. I mean...REELING. But, Mizzou struggled against San Diego State, and my guess is that Colorado is better. I think Mizzou will win, but they really need to win. After that starts a brutal four game stretch where nothing will be guaranteed.
When you follow a team, and give that much time to them for six months, it's always sad to see it go, but it's always fun to look back and remember some of the great moments of the season. In the end, however, I'm always sad to see it go. A sports fan like me has football and basketball to get me through the fall and winter, but I always anxiously await April, and the return of the Redbirds, and of our national past time.
Other Random Thoughts
Baseball said goodbye this year to among the last "old school" baseball guys. Joe Torre, Lou Piniella, and Bobby Cox all announced that they're hanging it up after the season (it remains to be seen about Tony LaRussa). Between the three, there are a great number of wins, division titles, pennants and world series rings, and it's sad to see guys from that era leave. That's why I'm extremely happy that the Atlanta Braves got it together for Bobby Cox one last time and made the playoffs as a wildcard, and I wish them all the best throughout the post-season. That's where my rooting interest will lie.
I'd like to take this moment to give a shout-out to my good friend, Caleb Barron. Before the NFL season started, he looked at the Rams first 5 games and stated that it's not unreasonable to think that they could win 3 of them. They sit at 2-2 heading into next weeks game with the Detroit Lions. It's a winnable game, but Detroit hasn't been too awful, and it's on the road. It's hard to win on the road in the NFL. My point here is, the Rams could very easily be 4-0 right now. They've dominated the Redskins and the Seahawks the last two weeks, and lost 17-13 to Arizona in the opener where they squandered a second half lead, and fell in Oakland in week 2, 16-14. Now, I'm not saying the Rams are great, but perhaps Mr. Barron isn't as insane as he sounded a few weeks back...at least when it comes to the Rams first five games. Everything else is up for debate...
Finally, the last decidedly winnable game on Mizzou's schedule for a long time is this weekend against Colorado. The scary thing is, the Buff's looked like a competent team against Georgia on Saturday night, but that was a Georgia team that is reeling. I mean...REELING. But, Mizzou struggled against San Diego State, and my guess is that Colorado is better. I think Mizzou will win, but they really need to win. After that starts a brutal four game stretch where nothing will be guaranteed.
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