Comment
Rate
Press Box
Hurry up, already
|
||
| Advertisement |
By Tom Rackers
sports@newstribune.com The countdown has started for the football season
The clock is ticking.
A visit to the University of Missouri athletic department's Web site on Saturday found a new first page - a graphic ticking down to the exact time to kickoff for the Missouri-Illinois game Saturday, Aug. 30, in St. Louis.
If people went to all that trouble, this must be a big game.
It is a big game, and a big season, the Tigers and their fans can't wait to begin.
On Friday, the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in the preseason USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll. That's the highest preseason ranking in Missouri history, eclipsing the No. 10 the Tigers were slotted at the start of the 1969 season.
Geez, 1969. Nixon, the Amazin' Mets, Laugh In - I'm old and I barely remember that stuff. To put it in football terms, the Chiefs were on their way to their only Super Bowl win. It was that long ago.
Who's ranked ahead of the Tigers? Well, it's a virtual Who's Who of college football - Georgia, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida and LSU. Just behind the Tigers are West Virginia, Clemson and Texas.
Pretty heady company, but the Tigers definitely deserve the preseason plaudits. They return 17 starters from a 12-2 team that destroyed Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Chase Daniel was a Heisman finalist, William Moore was an All-America safety and Jeremy Maclin also was lauded for his exploits as a freshman receiver and kick returner.
A lot of veterans, a lot of talent. And a schedule that looks ripe for the picking. If the Tigers can extend their winning streak over the Fighting Illini, ranked No. 19 in the poll, it looks like easy street.
Southeast Missouri State, Nevada and Buffalo wrap up the non-conference slate. Those games are otherwise known as “Name the score, a decent test for a half, and let's see if we can score more than we did against Southeast Missouri State.”
Then it's on to Big 12 Conference foes. With no Oklahoma or Texas Tech on the schedule, it looks like a trip to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns could be the only blip in an undefeated conference regular season. Then it's back to the Big 12 title game, likely against Oklahoma again, and then maybe, just maybe, a BCS slot.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Four weeks from Sunday, the clock will have reached all zeroes and we'll know how the season started.
Expectations are high. The clock is ticking.
A visit to the University of Missouri athletic department's Web site on Saturday found a new first page - a graphic ticking down to the exact time to kickoff for the Missouri-Illinois game Saturday, Aug. 30, in St. Louis.
If people went to all that trouble, this must be a big game.
It is a big game, and a big season, the Tigers and their fans can't wait to begin.
On Friday, the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in the preseason USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll. That's the highest preseason ranking in Missouri history, eclipsing the No. 10 the Tigers were slotted at the start of the 1969 season.
Geez, 1969. Nixon, the Amazin' Mets, Laugh In - I'm old and I barely remember that stuff. To put it in football terms, the Chiefs were on their way to their only Super Bowl win. It was that long ago.
Who's ranked ahead of the Tigers? Well, it's a virtual Who's Who of college football - Georgia, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida and LSU. Just behind the Tigers are West Virginia, Clemson and Texas.
Pretty heady company, but the Tigers definitely deserve the preseason plaudits. They return 17 starters from a 12-2 team that destroyed Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Chase Daniel was a Heisman finalist, William Moore was an All-America safety and Jeremy Maclin also was lauded for his exploits as a freshman receiver and kick returner.
A lot of veterans, a lot of talent. And a schedule that looks ripe for the picking. If the Tigers can extend their winning streak over the Fighting Illini, ranked No. 19 in the poll, it looks like easy street.
Southeast Missouri State, Nevada and Buffalo wrap up the non-conference slate. Those games are otherwise known as “Name the score, a decent test for a half, and let's see if we can score more than we did against Southeast Missouri State.”
Then it's on to Big 12 Conference foes. With no Oklahoma or Texas Tech on the schedule, it looks like a trip to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns could be the only blip in an undefeated conference regular season. Then it's back to the Big 12 title game, likely against Oklahoma again, and then maybe, just maybe, a BCS slot.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Four weeks from Sunday, the clock will have reached all zeroes and we'll know how the season started.
Expectations are high. The clock is ticking.
 |
 |
|
| Favre to be reinstated, report to Packers Monday | Girls Softball: Diamond Wildcats tryouts |
Article Rating |
|
Before commenting read the News Tribune Forum's policies and procedures.
Thanks.
To add your comments you must be registered and logged in |
RSS
