Mizzou Links, 7-9-09

First things first: there's still time to vote for Ian Kinsler another 150 times.  Voting closes at 4pm.  Hop to it!

What's the latest on Derrion Thomas and his quest to walk on at Mizzou this season?  The Trib checks in...

Continuing the ongoing series, Gabe at PM takes a look at the Big 12 North's receiving units.  He also continues another enjoyable series: re-ranking old state of Missouri recruiting classes.  This time it's 2004.

Oh yeah, and while you're at PM, if you want to become infuriated, check out the latest on Rock Bridge TE/LB Trey Millard.  His favorites: Oklahoma, Iowa...and Syracuse.  Seriously, what the hell is going on with Rock Bridge kids??  What the hell else does Mizzou need to prove to local kids, much less tight ends?  Are the goal posts still moving?  First the thought was that we had to win, then we had to win more, and now we've been to five bowls in six years...we have to win more.  First, we had to produce NFL talent, then NFL talent at a specific position, and now that we've produced two NFL tight ends, what else do we have to do?  Hall of Famers?  A full NFL team made of only Mizzou players...winning the Super Bowl?  I don't get it.  But whatever...power to him.

Aaaaaan that's pretty much all of the directly MU-related links...on to other stuff!  First up...hey, big shocker: the Mountain West will sign the BCS agreement.  That news comes one day after it was revealed they were threatening to take their ball and go home if they didn't get their way.  Always an effective tactic.

Dr. Saturday takes a look at Texas Tech...

Finally, Dave Matter continues his Behind the Stripes 2009 preview...this time by taking a look at the Big Ten and Sun Belt conferences.  And in response, as always, here are my projected BTBS standings for those conferences:

Big Ten

Ohio State 8-0 (11-1, Rose Bowl)
Iowa 6-2 (10-2, Capital One Bowl)
Penn State 6-2 (10-2, Outback Bowl)
Michigan State 5-3 (8-4, Alamo Bowl)
Minnesota 5-3 (8-4, Champs Sports Bowl)
Illinois 5-3 (7-5, Insight Bowl)
Michigan 3-5 (7-5, Motor City Bowl)
Northwestern 2-6 (6-6, EagleBank Bowl)
Indiana 2-6 (5-7)
Wisconsin 1-7 (3-9???????)
Purdue 1-7 (3-9)

• No real explanation for the Wisconsin projection there.  The numbers REALLY did not like Wisconsin's defense last year, but still...
• I think most Mizzou fans and RMN readers are fans of the job Pat Fitzgerald is doing at Northwestern, but there's quite a bit of personnel turnover this year.  Getting back to a bowl and continuing to build for the future would be pretty good benchmarks for this year.  Plus, they should be able to beat UConn in the EagleBank Bowl and knock that monkey off their back.

Sun Belt

Troy 7-1 (9-3, New Orleans Bowl)
North Texas 7-1 (10-2???????, Texas Bowl)
Middle Tennessee 5-3 (7-5)
Florida Atlantic 4-4 (5-7)
UL-Lafayette 4-4 (5-7)
Western Kentucky 4-4 (5-7)
Florida International 4-4 (4-8)
UL-Monroe 1-7 (2-10)
Arkansas State 0-8 (1-11)

• North Texas?  Really?  Again, no idea.  I think the big thing going for them here is, outside of Troy, nobody's ranked very high, so the fact that they return a good majority of their personnel and have a good home schedule is enough to bump them pretty far upward.