Mizzou Links, 10-27-08

When faced with the choice between watching World Series Game 4 and Tulsa-Central Florida, I chose Skelly Stadium.  Not sure what that says about me, but I don't care...

Well, after building up the Positivity Week recruiting last week, I guess we should start with some recruiting links, huh?  Sounds like the weekend went pretty well, but considering we didn't really expect any immediate commitments (and didn't get any), these links will be rather anti-climactic.

Bryce Brown - Enjoyed his visit, loved the family atmosphere, really thought he could fit in well here.

Jheranie Boyd - Enjoyed his visit, loved the family atmosphere, really thought he could fit in well here.

Ronnie Wingo - Didn't actually come for whatever reason, but will almost certainly be at the K-State game (with his cousin, 2010 ATH Marquise Hill).  And he will almost certainly enjoy his visit, love the family atmosphere, and really think he can fit in well here.

As expected, it's 'wait and see' for all three.  Cross your fingers.  They couldn't have picked a better weekend to visit, though.

Final Colorado Links!

• Mutigers.com: official box score (and recap)
• The Trib: Magic's back
• PowerMizzou: Sunday Grade Card
• The Missourian: Victory bolsters Tigers' pride
• Post-Dispatch: Mizzou gets handle on 'final 48 hours'
• Post-Dispatch: Defense gets ego boost with win
• Boulder Daily Camera: Hawk takes full blame for Buffs' pratfall
• Denver Post: Special-teams snafus bury CU in first quarter

Finally, Dave Matter empties the notebook...

If fans have one complaint about Saturday’s game it probably revolves around freshman quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who in a 58-point victory got to handle one snap. I’ll repeat the Gabbert theory I’ve been sharing for a while: If I’m reading things accurately, the decision to play the rookie this season has little to do with Saturdays. Whether he gets in the game and plays, whether he throws 20-yard out patterns or hands off to tailbacks, what happens on game day pales in comparison to the work Gabbert puts in during the week.

His redshirt was lifted, I believe, for the purposes of Sunday-Friday. He’s learning how to prepare, how to study film, how to read defenses, how to practice, how to experience all the routines and rituals that MU quarterbacks go through. Had Missouri redshirted Gabbert this year, all of that prep work becomes superficial exercises. Tell a freshman quarterback he has zero chance of playing on Saturdays, and I’m guessing he’ll tune out the rest of the season. For a quarterback in this system, you can’t afford your presumptive starter in 2009 to spend this season running the scout team. Your best option is to make him believe he’s got a chance to play every week.

And while we're at it, here's another quick, fun post from Matter...

What happens if Texas and Oklahoma win the rest of their regular-season games ... Missouri trips up the Longhorns in the Big 12 championship game ... and Texas and Oklahoma still finish 1 and 2 in the final BCS standings. It's unlikely but possible.

BCS rules stipulate that the Big 12 champion gets an automatic BCS berth, while the Nos. 1 and 2 teams meet for the BCS championship. BUT, no conference can be represented by more than two teams in the BCS lineup. Who would be left out?

Believe it or not, Missouri. So says the BCS.

I now guarantee this will happen.  Just seems fitting that we could win the Big 12 and STILL not make a BCS game...

SI's Stewart Mandel has a nice "Five Things We Learned" column, in which he complements Texas Tech and disses the SEC.  Good times abound...

Finally, the weekend didn't go as well for Mizzou's lady sports...Soccer had a 1-0 lead over #10 Texas with 15 minutes left but couldn't hold on and lost 2-1. Meanwhile, the must-win match in Ames for Mizzou Volleyball didn't go so well--they hit .098 as a team (Julianna Klein hit -.034) and bowed out quickly to Iowa State, 25-18 25-15 25-20.  Ouch.  The best female news, I guess, came from Women's Basketball, where three newcomers from Kansas made their mark in the Black & Gold game and might have given Cindy Stein's (possibly final) team a bit of hope and energy.