Missouri raises expectations with giant 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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 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 against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to cap a 12-2 season.

No longer a surprise, Missouri heads into this season as a legitimate national-title contender and will have to find a way to play the role of favorite instead of underdog.

"If you see red flags, you just deal with them," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "But right now I think we're doing the right things and hopefully the experience of last year of playing at a higher level, playing in a lot of pressure situations, hopefully we can play at a high level again."

Heisman hopes

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel was one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy last year and only he and Florida's Tim Tebow, who won the award, are returning. It's not hard to figure out who the favorites will be again this year.

"Just by human nature and college football nature, of course we're going to be the favorites coming into this year," said Daniel, who finished fourth in last year's voting. "That's just how it is. You've done nothing in the offseason to merit that, but since you were a Heisman finalist last year, that's going to be how it is this year."

That may be true, but Daniel will still have to play well to get another shot. Perhaps more importantly, his team will have to play well for him to get another chance.

"A lot of different things have to go right," he said. "We have to win a bunch of games. I look at the Heisman as a team award. I can't get to New York without my receivers, without my offensive line, without our team winning a lot of football games. It's a great opportunity for our community, it's a great opportunity for our university, but everything has to be perfect for it to happen."

Top picks: Tigers, Sooners

Missouri and Oklahoma were picked to repeat as division champions in a preseason media poll. Missouri was a unanimous selection to win the North and Oklahoma received 49 of 51 first-place votes to win the South, with Texas getting the other two.

Tech running backs

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."

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QUARTERBACK 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."

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