Once upon a time, the mere experience of going to a bowl game was a big deal for the Missouri Tigers because the event symbolized the rise of a fallen program.
These regular bowling trips became a reward for MU’s progress under coach Gary Pinkel, who arrived in Columbia in 2001 to end the desolation.
If Mizzou won a bowl game it was a nice bonus. And if Mizzou lost a bowl game … well, that’s OK. Win or lose, their season still mattered. The Tigers were relevant again. They were back on the map. Their fans were happy. The roar was restored, and all of that.
Not all bowl games were like this, of course. The thumping of Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl capped a special 2007 season. Until losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game, Missouri was a contender for a national title, and taking the Cotton enabled the Tigers to finish fourth in the AP poll. It was a positive way to close out a meaningful, memorable season. The victory reaffirmed the legitimacy of MU’s stirring 2007 season.
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But for the most part, Mizzou’s bowl history under Pinkel has featured pleasant, relatively pressure-free excursions.
Well, I believe this year’s bowl game is different.
The stakes are higher. And Mizzou needs to defeat Oklahoma State and win the Cotton Bowl on Friday night at the Jerry Jones amusement park in Arlington, Texas.
There’s an obvious parallel to the 2007 Cotton Bowl; once again the Tigers are coming off an unsightly loss in a conference championship game. Once again, MU is angling to finish strong and move up in the final polls. Once again, Missouri wants to validate its breakout season in a powerful conference — only this time as a proud member of the SEC.
I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression here; I’m not suggesting that Pinkel and the Tigers are giving the vacation-trip treatment to this game. Not at all. This is a proud group of players and coaches. This is an emerging team that shook off a bad first season in the SEC to compete with distinction in America’s toughest college football conference. I have no doubt that Mizzou is hungry to win this one.
All of that said, the Cotton Bowl presents something of a credibility check for the Tigers. Getting thrashed by Auburn in the SEC championship was a stunning and humiliating comedown.
After playing some of the league’s stoutest defense during the eight-game SEC regular-season schedule, MU was ripped apart for 59 points, 677 total yards and 545 yards rushing by Auburn’s option offense.
To end the season with two consecutive losses wouldn’t ruin all of Mizzou’s good work in 2013. But a loss to Oklahoma State would be a negative, dispiriting way to go out. And that’s especially true if OSU embarrasses the Missouri defense.
There are other reasons this game carries added importance.
Missouri is representing the SEC, the ruling conference that has the highest standards in the nation. Mizzou isn’t just playing for their fans and their school pride; they’re taking the SEC flag into this Cotton Bowl. That’s quite an obligation. The Tigers won the SEC East division, and more is expected from them.
And with a Big 12 team as an opponent, there’s more on the line. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops took shots at the SEC on multiple occasions in 2013, categorizing the SEC’s alleged football supremacy as “propaganda.” He also made fun of SEC defenses.
Stoops and the Sooners will have to answer to Alabama in tonight’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Not surprisingly, Stoops is scurrying away from his previous comments like a squirrel headed up a tree to avoid a menacing backyard dog.
Stoops has relied on the oldest and lamest technique used by mouthy coaches who need to cover their backsides: blame it on the media.
“There’s always a lot of talk because newspapers have to be filled and airtime has to be filled,” Stoops told reporters in the lead-up to the Sugar Bowl. “You have to talk about something. We don’t concern ourselves with it, really.”
Speaking as a fan and a certified SEC honk, I hope coach Nick Saban and Alabama does a number on Big Game Bob tonight. When Stoops popped off about the SEC, he basically threw down on behalf of the Big 12. No matter how any of these coaches try to spin it or walk back Stoops’ zingers, there’s a lot of anti-SEC resentment and jealousy in their ranks.
That’s why Missouri vs. Oklahoma State is more than just an entertaining matchup pitting two quality teams.
No, this one is also about the SEC vs. the Big 12.
And if Oklahoma State can slap Mizzou around, imagine all of the back-slapping, high fives and trash talk that will erupt among the Big 12 faithful. Oklahoma State is playing for all of the bitter folks who would like to see Mizzou humbled for dumping the Big 12 for a hookup with the SEC.
As Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Glbert said of Mizzou earlier this week: “Now that they’re in the SEC, they probably think they’re way better than us. We’ve got to come out with the attitude to prove everybody wrong.”
There’s also Pinkel vs. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. They have a fine relationship, one of mutual respect. Friday’s coaching matchup isn’t personal, but Pinkel is 1-3 against Gundy, having lost the last three to the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State hit Mizzou with a heavily damaging loss at Faurot Field in 2008. Mizzou was ranked No. 3 in the nation going into the game, and the 28-23 upset left MU fans and media howling over Pinkel’s coaching decisions.
Gundy and OSU followed up by clobbering Mizzou by 16 points in 2009, and by 21 points in 2011. If No. 9 Missouri loses again to No. 13 Oklahoma State, we’ll probably hear more growling about Coach Pinkel’s performance in big games.
A loss would leave Pinkel with a bowl record of 4-5 at Mizzou, including a 1-3 mark in the last four bowls. With a loss, Mizzou would probably tumble out of the Top 10 after climbing to as high as No. 5.
On the other hand, a victory would do a lot for Mizzou.
The Tigers would go into the offseason with 12 wins and preserve a Top 10 ranking. With a win, Mizzou will defend the SEC’s honor and silence two hostile crowds: the SEC haters and the Pinkel haters. Depending on how the Cotton Bowl plays out, a triumph could deliver redemption for the MU defense following the disaster against Auburn.
This all makes for a compelling evening of football under the Friday night lights, deep in the heart of Big 12 country. For Mizzou, the pressure is on. The SEC is counting on the Tigers to represent.
