Virginia Tech vs. Boston College-More Miracles than Matt Ryan can muster?

When these two teams first met midway through the regular season, Missouri lead after 3 quarters and looked like they could actually beat an Oklahoma squad that they’ve struggled against mightily over the last several years. After being outscored 18-7 by a deep, athletic and typical Bob Stoops team, Missouri was again left scratching their heads.

So, with a Big 12 Championship on the line and a birth to the National Championship looming, what is going to be different this time around?

The game is going to be played at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, and not in the friendly confines for the Sooners in Norman. In theory, that is a six point swing by itself. Maybe since the game is in neutral territory and not a home game for Mizzou, we’ll say it’s a 4 point swing.

RB Tony Temple was MIA for the Tigers in their first meeting. After rushing for 98 yards on 22 carries against then #2 Kansas, it is easy to see Temple is vital to providing their offense with a balanced attack. He broke pretty much every first tackle against the Jayhawks but don’t expect a repeat of that this week against a stout Oklahoma defense. He can run, block and catch. Most of all, he can keep a defense honest, as they will have to respect him as a weapon out of the backfield.

Chase Daniel threw for 361 yards when these teams first met, with WR Jeremy Maclin now posing as one of the most talented game changers in the nation. If there is one area on defense that the Sooners really need to worry, it’s their pass defense against an explosive Missouri offense.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and when Missouri looks in the rearview mirror, they can easily see how their mistakes can be corrected. The problem is this is easier said than done.

Oklahoma forced Daniel into turnovers, both on the ground and through the air, which lead to 21 points for Oklahoma. Expect the Sooners to incorporate a number of blitz packages, which could confuse and outmatched Missouri O-Line. Against Kansas, I personally did not see Chase Daniel get dirty until 8:16 left in the fourth quarter. This won’t happen against the Sooners.

Oklahoma is averaging over 200 yards a game on the ground and even without DeMarco Murray out with an injury, RB Allen Patrick and RB Chris Brown should fill in admirably. Missouri is good against the run but poor against the pass. If Oklahoma establishes a ground game, watch out, it’s going to be a long night.

Freshman phenom, QB Sam Bradford, will need to play as efficiently as he has all season. The one game he was injured, against Texas Tech, Oklahoma lost 34-27. For Mizzou to contain Bradford and his many athletic weapons, they need to plug up the running attack or else a pass D that is ranked outside of the top 100 overall will be exposed.

How it will Play Out

Looking at starting lineups, Mizzou matches up well with Oklahoma at a number of positions. Still, there is a reason Oklahoma has been a dominant fourth quarter team and Missouri has not; depth. The attrition factor could creep up on the Tigers again, as they will need to play above themselves and capitalize on every opportunity. Simply put, Oklahoma is the more athletic team who has been here before. As great of a college quarterback Chase Daniel has proven to be, it won’t mean much if he’s forced to make Tony Romo-esque decisions. Daniel can buy himself time with his feet but he can also bury immediate troubles even deeper.

Oklahoma is favored by 3 points for a reason and I fully expect them to win a tough battle. After an emotional game against an undermanned Kansas team, Missouri again faces an emotional game, this time against an overpowering team. Missouri will need to score at least 4 touchdowns and win in the turnover department to have a chance. Sure this is possible but I would not bet on it. Additionally, Missouri will need to be up 10 points instead of 1 heading into the final quarter of play if they want to beat the Sooners for the first time since 1998.