1 - It's Positivity Week on Rock M Nation, so tell us one positive thing that came from your team's loss last Saturday.
2 - Long-term, what's your biggest concern about the Mizzou program as it currently stands? (Boy, that may be the most vague question ever asked on the Roundtable)
3 - How do you see the North title race playing out?
4 - Big 12 picks!
Colorado at Mizzou
Oklahoma State at Texas
Texas Tech at Kansas
Oklahoma at Kansas State
Baylor at Nebraska
Texas A&M at Iowa State
5 - Finally, in true POSITIVITY WEEK!!!! fashion, what's your favorite movie pep talk of all-time?
Let's see just how many youtube embeds we can plant into one post...
The Beef: 1 - Um…that I did not get to/have to watch it. That’s a positive in my book. I also think Coffman took additional steps towards getting rid of any doubt that he is not the best TE in the country. Each catch at this point is probably worth a few grand in signing bonus.
2 - I don’t know that I have any huge concern at this point that I can put fingers to keys about. I suppose I am a little disappointed that the team seems to have gotten off track in the past couple of weeks by being focused on the big picture, but we really were in pretty uncharted territory and I suppose that can be expected to happen. I am just choosing to enjoy the rest of the season and some of the best players (if not THE best players) I have (and though hopefully not, might) ever seen. The program will continue to grow, especially given some of the youth that has played this season, plus the potential recruiting haul we are looking at.
3 - I see us moving through the next four weeks without a loss, putting us at 5-2 going into the kU game. Meanwhile, I see kU losing a tough game against TTech this weekend and down the road against UT, so they will be 4-3. Everyone else will be out of the way.
4 - Colorado at Mizzou – I see Mizzou winning pretty big, but I am not sure we come RIGHT out and do it. I think we hear some boos before the first half is done and then it finally kicks in for them and they get going.
Oklahoma State at Texas – What a game…wish I could watch this. I like UT at home…I have to based on how (I heard) they played last weekend
Texas Tech at Kansas – As I said above…tough game…am thinking this is high scoring and pretty close.
Oklahoma at Kansas State – Am thinking this is high scoring and not nearly as close
Baylor at Nebraska – don’t really want to think about this one…guess I will take NU to win at home, because if they lose at home to Baylor…oy veh
Texas A&M at Iowa State – ggh…another doozy…I’ll take ISU at home since, as The Boy says…their SALTY
5 - Got to go with the Kirk Russell rendition of the Herb Brooks speech from Miracle…
Yeah, pretty sure ISU is out of salt.
1 - I guess the smartass answer is that the clocked reached 0:00. Really, if I have to put a positive spin on anything, it's that team appeared to have finally woken up in the second half. A day late, a dollar short, etc., but Texas would have been more than happy to hang a 70-3 whoopin' on Mizzou if the Tigers continued to lay down, but they didn't. They found a better rhythm in the second half (it's a lot easier to do so when your opponent is coasting with a 30+ point lead), and lord I hope that continues through this next weekend.
2 - I have two answers for this one. First, the obvious answer is, with a lesser QB than Chase Daniel, Mizzou would have lost by 50 instead of 25 last week...and we only have Chase Daniel for another 6 (hopefully 7) games. Second, it was a reaffirmation that while Mizzou had a wonderful season last year and still has the makings of a 10+ win season this year, they still cannot compete with teams like Texas from an athleticism standpoint, and that doesn't appear like it will ever change.
Of course, few (if ANY) teams in the country can compete with UT in that regard (look at what that UT D-line did to a very good OU O-line just a week and a half ago), and lord knows nobody in the North Division can, but it was certainly discouraging to see the stark difference there...especially in the trenches.
3 - If Mizzou regains its focus (and they're talking a good game so far this week), then all signs point to another winner-take-all matchup at Arrowhead over Thanksgiving weekend. Granted, the "all" in "winner-take-all" isn't quite as lofty--the winner won't move to #1 in the BCS standings this time around--but the winner will almost certainly find itself back at Arrowhead the next weekend. The standings dictate that this is a very strong possibility. Between now and then, Mizzou will face the four worst offenses in the conference and should (SHOULD) emerge from that run at 5-2 in conference. Kansas stands at 2-1 right now, so unless they lose 3 of 4 in their upcoming stretch (Tech, KSU, @NU, UT), Mizzou and KU would be separated by no more than a game either way, meaning the winner wins the North (unless you see someone like NU running the table between now and then). Of course, KU COULD lose three of four--they could easily lose to both Tech and UT, and I predicted before the season that NU would probably bite somebody at home--but they probably won't.
4 - CU at MU: The more I think about this game, the more I start to believe it will be more of a "34-17" style whoopin' than a "55-10" one. I don't think CU has a chance, but after getting burned by the deep ball about 178 times in last year's game, they'll probably be focused on keeping everything in front of them and making Mizzou kill time in scoring drives. Plus, they'll probably be running about 65% of the time, at least until they fall down by 14-17 or something. So I don't believe Mizzou will be tremendously tested, but I could definitely see CU covering. We'll go with Mizzou 34-17 for now.
OSU at UT: OSU's defense is like boxing against a southpaw. They might not be tremendously talented, but they seem good at taking you out of your rhythm. That's a tall task with the rhythm UT's in right now. It seems like OSU takes a huge lead then falters late against UT every year. I could see that being the case, but only if UT takes a step backwards. Until proven otherwise, I say UT maintains its rhythm. Texas 45, OSU 24.
Tech at KU: I keep going back and forth on this one. Todd Reesing looked super-crafty against OU's pass rush, and Tech's been playing with fire. First, they barely beat NU at home. Then they let ATM hang around for longer than expected (granted, they turned it on in the second half). I say KU picks up a little momentum here and takes it, 35-31.
OU at KSU: OU's run defense looks like crap right now, but I don't really see Logan Dold taking advantage of that. OU 45, KSU 16.
BU at NU: I think Robert Griffin might just about be out of magic tricks for the season. NU 38, BU 14.
ATM at ISU: The real winner: people at the Mizzou-Colorado game. They'll be at the game, so they won't be able to watch this one on TV. ATM 31, ISU 20.
5 - Gotta be Bill Murray in Meatballs.
rptgwb: 1. One thing positive? I got to watch a Heisman trophy-leading quarterback lead a ruthlessly efficient offense with a dominating offensive line and a fast-pursuing defense. One thing positive about Mizzou? The rest of the nation is finally starting to understand what we already know: Chase "Thrust the Nunchuck Upward" Coffman is a man beast.
2. The biggest concern for me is in the trenches. Missouri is capable of bringing skill players and athletic freaks of nature into this program, especially into this offense. But none of that means anything if Pinkel and co. can't find the horses to protect them. If the Big 12 South has taught us anything in the last 12 months, it's that Missouri will not be able to take that next step as a program unless it can find a way to match up against the elite lines in college football.
3. There is no excuse for Missouri or Kansas to lose to any other Big 12 North team. The difference is in the Big 12 South schedules. Missouri SHOULD win out, including its last South stop over Baylor. Texas should beat Kansas, and this week's Tech/Kansas game should be a tossup or a slight Tech lean. That still means that everything will be on the line at Arrowhead.
4. Picks:
Colorado at Mizzou - Winner? Tigers by 18
Oklahoma State at Texas - Winner? Horns by 17
Oklahoma at Kansas State - Winner? Sooners by 35
Baylor at Nebraska - Winner? Huskers by 13
Texas A&M at Iowa State - Winner? Ags by 3
Texas Tech at Kansas - Winner? The terrorists.
5. I'm all about Pacino in Any Given Sunday. I have an unhealthy love for Varsity Blues, but I'm not about to put Mox's "24 minutes for the next 24 minutes" speech in the pantheon of great pep talks. And, just because the pep talk actually happened, I'll give a shoutout to Herb Brooks "This is your time" speech before the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Michael Atchison: 1 - It ended the anxiety I feel each week about losing a game and blowing our national title hopes.
2 - I think it’s the play at the line of scrimmage. You can have the most sophisticated offense in the world, but if the other team’s line pushes you around, you lose. And when Mizzou has faced the biggest, strongest, fastest athletes up front the past two years, it hasn’t worked out too well.
My other lingering concern is the nagging feeling that we may have caught lightning in a bottle with Daniel, Coffman and Maclin all here at the same time. It will be interesting to see what things are like when they’re gone. I think the program can still be good, but I wonder how often the team can be top-ten good.
3 - Mizzou still wins it. They’re going to win the rest of the way and hold tiebreakers over all of the north teams.
4 - Mizzou by 17.
Texas by 22.
Tech by 2.
Oklahoma by 30.
Nebraska by 3.
ISU by 6.
5 - Belushi. Animal House. Period.
Doug: 1 - Hmmm... well, everyone suggested utter blowout and devastation for KU at the hands of the Sooners. So I think I will take a 14-point loss in Norman while keeping it close most of the game, thank you very much.
2 - Do I really have concerns about MU? Not so much. But, you will have to replace Daniel next year and its not a given that whoever comes in will be an improvement like Daniel was from Brad Smith.
3 - I think everything will still be on the line again at Arrowhead this year. I can see both teams winning out against the North, and as long as Kansas wins this weekend, which is very likely, then both teams will have two conference losses the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
4 - Stranger things have happened... but won't here: MU
I'm a man! I'm undefeated! Wait, what?: UT
The most bi-polar high-scoring team in the country on the road: KU
The Ron Prince Josh Freeman Farewell Tour rolls on: OU
Really? We have to pick this one?: NU
I think I'm going to be ill: ISU
5 - Yeah, I'll agree with Beef
ZouDave: 1 - I don't know if you want to necessarily call it positive or negative, but the reality is we got a dose of reality. To me this is a positive thing. There's no doubt Missouri is a good team (at least there should be no doubt). But we had some wild aspirations, and Lord knows I had bitten into that cookie, and now we know more where we stand. We can still dream big, but we were just handed proof that it takes a lot more than just a plucky QB with a chip on his shoulder and some above average talent with a boatload of heart to be a championship team. Realism, to me, is comforting. I still have very high hopes for the remainder of this season, but at least now I'm not kidding myself.
2 - I just wonder will we ever truly be able to compete with the big boys consistently from a resource standpoint? Coach Pinkel and staff are doing a great job at Mizzou, and these recent 2 losses don't change that. But let's say the time comes for Pinkel to go even if he's still having some success (kinda like it did with Marty Schottenheimer in KC 10 years ago). Now what? We don't really have the resources to go hire a major name can't-miss type coach, so we'd end up replacing Pinkel with another coach in Pinkel's category which probably doesn't mean much of an upgrade. We've made major strides in facilities and things like that to stay competitive, but the simple fact is Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska were who we had to catch by spending a ton of money, so what's to stop them from spending a ton of money again to re-widen the gap? I'm actually not that concerned about Nebraska anymore, because I think the longer they stay irrelevant the more people will forget that they were once great. But the other big boys in the South will remain big boys, and what can we do to negate that inherent advantage?
3 - It's going to come down to Mizzou and kansas at Arrowhead again, although slightly less volatile than a year ago, unless either of the teams just completely melts down over the next 4 weeks. I do not expect that to happen. I expect Mizzou to win the next 4 with relative ease. I expect kansas to beat KSU and lose to Texas. That means they need to win just one of Texas Tech and Nebraska to make the Arrowhead game for all the marbles. As for who is going to win that showdown (war?), I still think Mizzou is a better team but I do think kansas has clearly marked themselves as no worse than #2 in the North.
4 - Mizzou by 21+...may be more like 40 if the players are really pissed.
Texas by 14. OSU is good, but Texas is just unstoppable right now.
Texas Tech by 3, and I can't even rationally say why I'm picking that.
Oklahoma by how ever much they decide to win by.
Nebraska by 10. I don't think they ever pull away, but I don't think they'll ever be in danger.
Iowa State. A&M played well against Tech because it's a rivalry. ISU is better than what they showed against Nebraska.
5 - The list starts and stops with Bluto's speech in Animal House. WAS IT OVER WHEN THE GERMANS BOMBED PEARL HARBOR?! HELL NO!
(30 minutes later
ZouDave: So we have 2 votes for Herb Brooks in "Miracle"
2 votes for Bluto in "Animal House"
(ps - it is freaking amazing that there isn't one unedited, clean version of this scene anywhere on YouTube)
1 vote for Bill Murray's character in "Meatballs"
1 vote for Tony D'Amato (sp?) in "Any Given Sunday"
With honorable mentions to Herb Brooks again, as well as John Moxon's speech in "Varsity Blues" (not on YouTube?).
So while we still have people out there needing to respond (isn't it RIDICULOUS how long it takes MATT to respond?) I have to say I'm not surprised that the elder statesmen went right for Animal House. Others I'm sure deserve a mention:
Norman Dale in "Hoosiers"
William Wallace in "Braveheart"
George Patton in "Patton"
Gary Gaines in "Friday Night Lights"
Ridiculous Matt: 1. It was so severe that my coworkers couldn't even find the heart to mock me for it? I got nothing. I was honestly pretty destroyed (on a comparative sporting event scale) by the game. Did I see it coming? Yeah. But for some reason it didn't take the sting off. I take no solace in understanding overextended expectations or even Nunchuk. This just sucked with the fury of a thousand kUs.
2. Whether last year was a product of the schedule and we really aren't that good. Because that means next year's team will be even worse than we imagine, and that will send us back into a recruiting shame spiral. This was supposed to be the year we made significant progress to boost us for the next five years or so. Instead it feels like some sort of dream that Colt McCoy bitchslapped us out of.
3. We win. KU won't beat Texas, which is irrelevant because we'll beat them in Arrowhead. Hopefully.
4. Mizzou 30 Colorado 24: I'm not out of my funk yet enough to believe the Tigers are either.
Texas 48 OSU 45: I think Texas' is just phenomenally peaking too soon, but I think it'll hold them for a while longer.
KU 31 Tech 28: Tech was down at the half to A&M. They're a bigger fraud than we were.
Baylor 23 NU 20: Baylor's signature win for the season.
ISU 24 A&M21: At least we're not in College Station.
5. I'll go with the "Win one for Lou" speech from Major League II after he says not to give any shitty "Win one for Lou" speeches.
ZouDave: Jake Taylor...not appearing on YouTube.
I'm disappointed in YouTube today. I can find a 2-year old rocking out to System of a Down, but I can't find a full unedited "Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor" speech nor anything useful from Major League II. Not that there's really that much useful from ML2 other than:
Taylor: You okay, Pedro?
Cerrano: Okay? I am free and clear.
Vaughn: Did he say 'free and queer'?
Cerrano: CLEAR!
The Beef: Is this where we can talk about the awesome’ness of Major League 3?
We could probably use some of Tanaka’s fire…
Ridiculous Matt: Field goal on 4th and goal from the OKState 1...
"YOU HAVE NO... MARBLES!"
ZouDave: I choose to ignore the existence of Major League 3.
Tanaka was fine in ML2...nothing about ML3 is worth remembering.
The Boy: There was a Major League 3?
Doug: Otherwise known as the Kansas City Royals, circa 2004.
Michael Atchison: Piece of Mizzou-related trivia: Tom Quinn, father of Mizzou alum and ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn, plays the Red Sox manager in Major League II.
The Boy: That's why we keep you around, Atch. For tidbits like this.
The Beef: He has not worked a ton…but he’s been in stuff for a lot of decades
More on Tom Quinn care of IMDB
ZouDave: Hey, another motivational speech from a movie we've neglected to mention:
Jimmy Dugan in "A League of Their Own" (starting at about 1:40)
or, of course:
Michael Atchison: I only have so many moves. I would also have pulled Tom’s name out if we talked about The Pelican Brief, the first-season episode of The West Wing with the anonymous dead Vietnam vet, or the episode of Homicide with Polly Holliday ("Flo" from Alice) and Rosanna Arquette. One of our great thespians.
ZouDave: I was just getting ready to say I remember him as Sara Morgan's dad in Pelican Brief. My favorite Grisham novel, for some reason. I don't think it's his best, but it's still my favorite.
But you want to talk Mizzou thespians, I think you have to go straight to Chris Cooper.
Michael Atchison: No love for George C. Scott? What about Robert Loggia?!?
The Beef: Peter: Ah man, I hate kids birthday parities. This is going to be worst then that time I was stuck behind Robert Loggia at the airport
Airport Employee: May I have your name please?
Robert Loggia: Robert Loggia
Airport Employee: Can you spell that for me?
Robert Loggia: Certainly, that’s Robert Loggia…
R as in Robert Loggia
O as in oh my God! It's Robert Loggia
B as in By god that’s Robert Loggia
E as in everyone loves Robert Loggia
R as in Robert Loggia
T as in Tim look over there it's Robert Loggia
SPACE
L as in look it’s Robert Loggia
ZouDave: I was looking for the video of this...but yet AGAIN YouTube has failed me today.
The Boy: Not totally sure what language this site is in (it's not German, that's all I know), but some furriners come through where youtube could not (though this one may not be youtube's fault--pretty sure they've had to take down all family guy clips).
ZouDave: The Boy comes through with a HUGE find! +1 to you, sir! (whatever the hell that means)
The Boy: Meanwhile...
ZouDave: That's now 2 George C. Scott references in this Roundtable, including the Patton speech from earlier.
I believe that brings our total cumulative roundtable (dating back to when this started on MizzouSanity) George C. Scott references to: 2.
The Beef: I feel this roundtable is going in the right direction….the last two weeks, our roundtables have…for lack of a better word…sucked…
ZouDave: so has our team
The Beef: Which is why I feel we are on the right track here…we are roundtabling loose again, not tight like the last two weeks.
ZouDave: We just have to focus on one roundtable at a time, and not think about how our roundtables are going to look at the end of the year.
Ridiculous Matt: Hopefully not this loose:
ZouDave: what an opportunity you wasted, Matt. If you'd brought up Jenna Haze in your comment, this would have been the best roundtable ever.
Way to ruin it, ruiner.
The Boy: We're certainly going to find out just how many youtube embeds I can cram into one post...if there's a limit, we're going to know...
ZouDave:
The Boy: That's what she said?
(one hour later)
ZouDave: did everyone take a lunch break or what's going on here?
The Beef: I just came upon the realization that McDonalds (at least the one here in Town and Country) NO LONGER HAS A SANDWICH ON THE DOLLAR MENU!!
ZouDave: really? Pretty sure the one near my house still has the double cheeseburger for $1. I had heard, though, that McDonalds restaurants were going to have to make a choice on the double cheeseburger to either raise it to $1.29 or only put 1 slice of cheese on it to leave it at $1.
I think I'd be ok with just 1 slice of cheese. You can't convince me that slice of cheese costs $.30.
Michael Atchison: This is why I travel with my own pack of Kraft Singles
The Beef: That’s fine…but how are you going to tell me the price of whatever went up on the damn McChicken…
The Boy: All I know is, this is a national crisis, and I'm suspending my campaign until it's remedied.
ZouDave: speaking of fast food chicken sandwiches...have you tried the new Buffalo Chicken Sandwich from Wendy's? Pretty freaking tasty.
The Beef: They closed all of the Wendy’s in STL…then reopened six of them, but none terribly close to me
ZouDave: You really wouldn't believe KC and STL are in the same state sometimes. We have Wendy's EVERYWHERE, but no White Castles.
The Beef: Dunkin Donuts is coming (finally) out this way evidently by early next year…cannot WAIT for that
ZouDave: None of those around here, as far as I know. But they'd pale in comparison to Lamar's Donuts anyway so it's wise they stay out.
Surprising that the fat guys are talking about food?
The Beef: I will defend the honor of Dunkin Donuts until the day I die from a Boston crème donut lodged in my windpipe
ZouDave: Have you ever had Lamar's Donuts?
The Beef: I have…even had them a few times…they don’t strike me as anything better than anything else out there that is not called Dunkin Donuts
ZouDave:
The Beef:
The Boy: Pass it on.
ZouDave: Starbucks can kiss the fattest part of my ass.
The Beef: So the entire thing then?
The Boy: What part is The Beef going to kiss then?
ZouDave: The tip.
Michael Atchison: Screw all of you. I’m finishing the last of a Caribou Coffee dark roast as we speak.
The Beef: Ooooh…my folks would agree with you on that….I don’t drink any coffee so I cannot speak to any of this part of the discussion…I will just remain focused on filling up rpt’s inbox.
The Boy: I was going to post a "mission accomplished" pic in response to that, but google will only point you to Dubya pictures if you search for that...and after the near political meltdown we had during Saturday's open thread, I think I'll just pass on this one.
The Beef: I guess I miss all the good stuff when I’m gone…
ZouDave: another way to look at it is good stuff only happens if you're not there...
The Beef: Another way to look at is over the past two years, there have been two games which I have been totally off the grid for…..1st OU game last year and UT this year…guess I need to stay on the grid a tad more.
The Boy: Seriously, man...stay on the grid. Surely everybody you know is married by now, right?
The Beef: Close…we don’t have a lot of weddings coming up…maybe none…but I can think of three weddings left…with at least two trips to Vegas for bachelor parties
The Boy: Mmm...In-N-Out Burger...
ZouDave: for absolutely no reason, I offer:
The Boy: Oh man, the list of tags for this Roundtable post is going to be EPIC. Flo from Alice...Duct Tape...Lamar's Donuts...Meatballs...
Michael Atchison: Are their really enough people searching this site for content about Flo that it’s necessary to give her her own tag?
rptgwb: Jocques Crawford approves that poster.
ZouDave: This Flo has her own tag. It's tricked out.
Michael Atchison: When I was in Philly a few months back, I caught a women’s roller derby double header. The players all had colorful names: Felony Griffith, Robin Drugstores, etc.. But my fave, without doubt, was a big-boned bruiser named Heavy Flo.
ZouDave: *snicker*...big boned.
The Beef: I think we can probably end this right here and now….
The Boy: Yeah, that might be a good idea...THE ROUNDTABLE IS BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Everybody pat yourselves on the back...
rptgwb: Does this mean we restored the order?
The Beef: I don't know what else it COULD mean