Missouri surpassed expectations last year, in part because there weren’t that many.
That won’t be the case this year. After nearly playing their way into the national championship game in 2007, the Tigers won’t be sneaking up on opponents in 2008.
“We’re the hunted now; we used to be the hunters and now we’re the hunted,” Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said. “We’re excited about the fact that we could do that. We’re excited about the fact that we can do a lot of things on offense, defense and special teams, but we’ve got a long way to do that and we can get a lot better.”
Missouri had been solid but unspectacular heading into last season, winning at least seven games three times in four years. Despite the Tigers’ innovative offense, there really wasn’t much reason to expect their fortunes to change.
They did, though. Missouri got on a roll, the confidence building with each win, and played itself into the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma, a shot at the national championship game on the line. The Tigers lost 38-17, but came back with a resounding, 38-7 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to cap a 12-2 season.
Tech’s runners
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach went into spring football expecting one of his three potential starting running backs to separate himself from the others.
It never happened.
Aaron Crawford, Shannon Woods and Baron Batch continually got better, improving on any weaknesses they might have, leaving Leach with plenty of competition — not that he minds.
“Are we going to have to play with just one? I don’t think so,” Leach said. “I think there’s enough room for all three of them to have a role. Eventually, what will develop there will probably be some fine distinctions on this situation, this type of block or this type of route and so forth that we’ll personnel around it. If it remains as competitive as it is right now, I would have no problem playing either of the three or all three of them.”
Tough decision
Mike Sherman of Texas A&M has a tough decision to make at quarterback: Does he go with Stephen McGee, last year’s starter, or give sophomore Jerrod Johnson a shot?
Both played well in the spring and it will probably be well into preseason camp before Sherman makes a decision. But does this make for a quarterback controversy? Not in Sherman’s mind.
“I don’t think you have a controversy when you feel like you have good talent at quarterback,” said Sherman, entering his first college head coaching job after 10 years in the NFL. “And if we didn’t have talent at that position, yeah, there would be a controversy. If you don’t have a quarterback in this offense, well, you’re going to struggle. I have confidence that we’re going to have a very good quarterback when we start the season.”
