Best Season: Missouri

For some of the media, the Gary Pinkel era didn't start the best. While the team technically exceeded expectations that Vegas set, there were many ugly wins and disappointing losses. The 2007 season was supposed to be the year where everything came together, and boy did it! The team reached a #1 ranking and appeared in the conference title game. Later in his career, Gary Pinkel would lead the Tigers to two SEC title appearances before his retirement in 2015. I chose this season due to how close the tigers were to getting to the National Championship. Below are breakdowns of each game:

Illinois: Missouri's quarterback Chase Daniel threw three touchdown passes and Cornelius Brown made an interception on the 1-yard line with 51 seconds left, helping the Tigers hold off Illinois 40-34. Missouri also scored on a 100-yard fumble return and a 66-yard punt return, which put them up 37-13 in the third quarter. However, Illinois fought back, with Eddie McGee replacing injured quarterback Juice Williams in the second quarter and throwing for 257 yards and a touchdown, but losing two fumbles and throwing two interceptions. McGee led the Illini to score three consecutive touchdowns, closing the gap to 37-34 in the fourth quarter, but Jeff Wolfert's 32-yard field goal gave Missouri a six-point lead, which they held onto until the end of the game. Illinois had one final chance to score but Brown intercepted McGee's pass in the end zone. Martin Rucker caught 10 passes for 86 yards for Missouri, while Daniel completed 37 of 54 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

Ole Miss: Chase Daniel had a career-high of 396 total yards and threw five touchdowns, leading the Tigers to a 38-25 win over Mississippi. In the first 35 minutes, Daniel had little pressure and was able to effectively run the spread offense, leading Missouri to build a 28-7 halftime lead. His five consecutive touchdown passes came during the second and third quarters. Despite a career game from Rebels running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who had 226 yards rushing, Ole Miss was unable to overcome their mistakes in the first half, including a fumble by Green-Ellis at the Missouri 7-yard line. While Mississippi quarterback Seth Adams led a late push, throwing for three touchdowns and cutting Missouri's lead to 38-25, failed conversions cost Ole Miss five points. Missouri's offense is averaging 39 points and 494 yards per game, with Daniel leading the way with 689 passing yards in two games. The Tigers' scoring drives were all under 3:05, and Daniel was rarely pressured by the Ole Miss defense.

WMU: Missouri cruised to a 52-24 victory over Western Michigan, with Jeremy Maclin and Tony Temple leading the way for the Tigers. Maclin tallied 275 total yards and two touchdowns, while Temple scored twice on the ground. Chase Daniel threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, completing 27 of 46 passes for 328 yards.

Missouri jumped out to a quick lead, with Maclin catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Daniel on the opening drive. The Tigers extended their lead to 14-0 on a Temple touchdown run and never looked back, building a 31-3 advantage by halftime.

Although Western Michigan mounted a comeback in the second half, the Tigers' defense held strong, including a crucial stop on a fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Maclin's performance was particularly impressive, as he caught seven passes for 96 yards, rushed six times for 52 yards, returned five kickoffs for 96 yards, and returned two punts for 31 yards. Maclin also scored his second touchdown on a 17-yard run in the second quarter.

Daniel extended his Division I record for consecutive passes without an interception to 255, before throwing a pick in the second quarter. Nevertheless, he added a 35-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Illinois State: Missouri utilized their no-huddle spread offense to secure a victory against Illinois State, winning 38-17 before heading into an off week before their Big 12 opener against Nebraska. Missouri's quarterback, Chase Daniel, threw three touchdown passes, and the team gained 581 total yards and 38 first downs. The Tigers scored on five drives with time of possession ranging from 17 seconds to 3:33, as well as on a punt return by Jeremy Maclin. Coach Gary Pinkel emphasized their offensive strategy of scoring, rather than trying to grind out the clock. Tony Temple scored two touchdowns, one on a pass in the first quarter and the other on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. Maclin also caught a touchdown pass and scored on a 64-yard fourth-quarter punt return. Daniel threw two interceptions but completed passes to 11 different receivers. Temple rushed 18 times for 101 yards. Illinois State's Luke Drone threw for 242 yards and one touchdown, and Geno Blow gained 116 yards on 21 carries. The win was typical of Missouri's other games this season, where they have averaged 42 points and 532 yards per game but have struggled defensively, allowing an average of 447 yards per game.

Nebraska: Chase Daniel celebrated his 21st birthday shortly after Missouri's No. 17 team defeated No. 25 Nebraska in a late-night game. He played exceptionally, throwing for a career-high 401 yards and running for two touchdowns. Missouri's defense, which had been considered weak, also performed well, holding Nebraska, who had been averaging 36 points per game, to only two field goals. Despite facing a ranked opponent, Missouri played a complete game and dominated Nebraska, outgaining them 606-297. Quarterback Sam Keller, who threw for 223 yards and one interception, felt responsible for the loss. Missouri's victory marks their third consecutive decisive win over Nebraska at home.

The game was highly anticipated, with both teams considered key contenders in the Big 12 North division. The sellout crowd of 70,049 was energized, and Missouri took advantage of the atmosphere, even scoring a touchdown off a fake field goal in the fourth quarter.

Missouri's win came without leading rusher Tony Temple, who sprained his ankle in the first half. Despite this setback, Missouri maintained their dominance and secured a solid victory over their long-time nemesis. Daniel, who completed 33 of 47 passes, expressed his excitement over the win and the atmosphere of the game. Overall, it was a strong performance from Missouri, and coach Gary Pinkel was proud of the team's effort.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma's Chris Brown proved to be the difference in the game between the No. 6 Sooners and No. 11 Missouri, both top-ranked teams with skilled quarterbacks. Brown ran for three touchdowns in the second half, including the go-ahead touchdown with 12:26 left in the game. Curtis Lofton also scored for Oklahoma with a fumble return. The Sooners won 41-31, ending Missouri's undefeated run.

Texas Tech: Against No. 22 Texas Tech, Missouri's was led by Chase Daniel in what was their most well-rounded effort of the season. The Tigers' defense, which had been improving, intercepted Graham Harrell four times, with one of them returned for a score, and held the nation's top offense to just 10 points in a dominant 41-10 victory. Despite missing the injured Tony Temple, Missouri's running game was highly successful, gaining 212 yards on the ground while Daniel threw for 210 yards on just 19 attempts - both season lows. "We're multidimensional, we're not just going to throw it around 50-60 times a game. If the running game is going, we're going to stick with it," said Daniel.

Although the game didn't live up to expectations of a points-fest featuring two of the most prolific passers in the country, Missouri scored on its first four possessions of the second half to top its 40-point average. Texas Tech's scoring total of 10 points was by far a season low for them, and they finished with just 388 yards total offense, 101 yards fewer than their previous low against Iowa State.

Iowa State: Missouri struggled to beat Iowa State, despite coming off two big wins against ranked opponents at home. However, the team was still upbeat and positive after the game, despite not playing their best. The Tigers managed to win 42-28, thanks in part to Lorenzo Williams' fumble recovery for a touchdown at the beginning of the second half. Although Missouri's high-powered offense was held to a season-low 366 yards, the team was able to score four touchdowns thanks to Jimmy Jackson, Tony Temple, Martin Rucker, and Jeremy Maclin. Missouri's head coach, Gary Pinkel, acknowledged that it's not always easy to win big and that sometimes games are going to be tough. The team lost safety Cornelius "Pig" Brown for the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Iowa State played well and had a solid performance from backup running back Alexander Robinson, who had 149 yards on 21 carries and a 37-yard touchdown run. Iowa State also played well against another Top 25 team the previous week, holding No. 4 Oklahoma to only 17 points in a loss. Missouri's victory was due in large part to their play at the end of the first half and beginning of the second half. Iowa State's Bret Meyer scored with just 24 seconds left in the first half, cutting the deficit to 17-14. However, Missouri was able to quickly get down the field and score a field goal before halftime. Then, at the start of the second half, Stryker Sulak stripped Meyer of the ball and Lorenzo Williams recovered the fumble for a touchdown, giving Missouri a 28-14 lead. Despite Iowa State scoring on their next drive, Missouri was able to put the game away with two more touchdowns from Rucker and Maclin.

Overall, while Missouri didn't play their best, they were still able to secure a win and maintain their positive attitude.

Colorado: Chase Coffman showcased his impressive skills during No. 9 Missouri's victory against Colorado. As a 6-foot-6, 245-pound touchdown machine, Coffman caught three of Chase Daniel's five TD passes, helping the Tigers secure their first win in Boulder since 1997. With a total of 19 TDs over his three-year career, Coffman surpassed the school record of 18 set by Justin Gage from 1999-2002. His impressive performance included a 25-yard pass over the middle, zigzagging through defenders, a hurdle over free safety Ryan Walters before bullying his way into the end zone, and a 5-yarder that showed off his soft hands and concentration.

The game also saw Jeremy Maclin break the single-season school record at Missouri, gaining 187 all-purpose yards. The victory put Missouri at an 8-1 start for the first time since 1969, and they now trail Big 12 North leader Kansas, which is unbeaten in league play, and will face Missouri in November. The 55 points scored against Colorado was the most the team had allowed at home since a 59-20 loss to Missouri on Oct. 8, 1983.

The Buffaloes managed to gain an early 7-0 lead but ultimately surrendered 48 unanswered points. Although they had a brief boost after a deflected pass gave them the ball at the Missouri 11, they were unable to maintain the lead, going three-and-out on several possessions and eventually replaced quarterback Cody Hawkins with backup Nick Nelson.

Texas A&M: In a 40-26 win over Texas A&M, Missouri's redshirt freshman Jeremy Maclin made two outstanding plays, catching two touchdown passes. The first helped pull the Tigers out of trouble, while the second was the school's longest reception in 31 years. Coach Gary Pinkel jokingly took credit, claiming that Maclin was his personal project for the season. The victory gave Missouri nine wins for the first time since 1969 and only the fourth time in school history. Texas A&M fought hard but lost their third straight game against top-10 opponents.

Kansas State: Missouri football players left the field with a resounding victory over Kansas State and were greeted by a group of Kansas State fans with painted chests and no shirts chanting "Beat KU!" This was music to the ears of the Tigers, who could now focus on their upcoming match against their rival Kansas. Jeremy Maclin, who set the NCAA single-season freshman record for all-purpose yardage, led the team with three touchdowns and 252 total yards. Missouri ranked fifth in the BCS and needed wins against both Kansas State and Kansas, ranked third in the BCS, to stay in the national championship race. The Tigers won 49-32, secured their second 10-win season in school history, and gave the team a chance to compete for the national title.

The upcoming game against Kansas was labeled the biggest in the history of the border rivalry. Kansas State coach Ron Prince acknowledged Missouri's talent and their chances of winning the national championship.

Kansas: Mizzou and Kansas had a game that would determine who would be Number 1 the following week. As they did all season, Mizzou jumped out to a lead and made Kansas play catch-up. The Tigers were up 28-7 before Kansa raced back to make it 34-28 with the ball at their 11 yard line and 17 seconds left. Missouri would force a safety and get the ball back to win 36-28. However, Missouri's quarterback Chase Daniel and his teammates had little time to celebrate their historic victory against Kansas as they face a bigger challenge next.

The fourth-ranked Tigers (No. 3 AP) are now Big 12 North champions and will play against No. 10 Oklahoma in the conference title game. If they beat Oklahoma, they will earn a spot in the BCS national championship game. This is a significant achievement for a team that was unranked until late September and hasn't won a conference title in 38 years. Daniel's outstanding performance of 361 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas puts him in the running for the Heisman Trophy. Missouri topped the BCS standings and became No. 1 in the AP Top 25, a position they haven't held since 1960. The Tigers' 36-28 victory over Kansas is their biggest win in school history. The game was attended by 80,537 people, the second-biggest crowd in the 35-year history of Arrowhead Stadium.

Oklahoma: In the Big 12 championship game at the Alamodome, the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners dominated the upstart Tigers with a final score of 38-17, securing their fifth title since 2000. Despite facing one of the nation's top offenses, the Sooners held Missouri to short field goals on multiple occasions, preventing them from scoring more than 30 points for the first time this season. The Sooners utilized their short-yardage rushing game, with Chris Brown scoring twice and Allen Patrick adding another touchdown. Quarterback Sam Bradford's two TD passes in the second half cemented the victory and secured a spot for the Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl for the second consecutive year. The Tigers' Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback, Chase Daniel, was unable to find the endzone, completing 23 of 39 passes for 219 yards and running for their only touchdown in the second quarter. Bradford's first TD pass was set up by an interception by OU linebacker Curtis Lofton, who caught a tipped pass. Overall, Patrick and Brown ran for a total of 159 yards for the Sooners, while Bradford completed 18 of 26 passes for 209 yards.

Arkansas: Tony Temple and his fellow Missouri teammates were enjoying a fantastic end to their incredible season. However, there was one issue - the game they were playing was the Cotton Bowl, not the national championship game they were just one win away from. Despite their disappointment, the Missouri team was determined to prove they belonged in the BCS, and they did so by soundly defeating Arkansas 38-7.

Although the team had been upset about not getting into the BCS, they were ultimately honored to be in the Cotton Bowl. Missouri had been ranked No. 1 after their victory over Kansas in the regular season finale but suffered a crushing loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, which allowed Kansas to secure an at-large berth in the Orange Bowl.

Despite being aware that Arkansas had loaded its defense with cornerbacks and safeties to neutralize Missouri's Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback, Chase Daniel, Temple managed to find a way through, exploiting gaps in the defense to rack up 159 yards and two touchdowns by halftime. Temple eventually broke the Cotton Bowl rushing record with a spinning, tackle-breaking 40-yard run into the end zone. However, he pulled a hamstring in the third quarter and missed several series.

Daniel, who threw for a season-low 136 yards with an interception, was happy to hand the ball off to Temple as it was the best way to win. McFadden, on the other hand, ran for 105 yards and a touchdown but did not play in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas made a poor first impression on new coach Bobby Petrino, with the defense allowing the most yards rushing by a single player and five turnovers.

Although the Tigers fell short of reaching the national championship, they reached a level that no Missouri team had since 1960. They proved that winning is possible at Missouri and with a win against OU in the conference title game, Mizzou would have been playing in the national title. I can only hope that one day soon, Mizzou will be back to getting to conference title games, and making noise in the SEC.