Chase Daniel's Golden Boy image was tarnished by 16 incompletions, 0 passing touchdowns and an interception.
On October 13 the Oklahoma Sooners were 10 points better than the Missouri Tigers but that wasn't good enough for Ol' Mizzou. In the month and a half following that match-up we've heard it all from the Tigers, their fans and the media. We've heard about how they let the game slip away or better yet gave it to the Sooners on their own mistakes. We've heard how the Tigers had improved since that meeting while the Sooners had platitude or even digressed. We heard how Chase Daniel was Heisman worthy and since he was the closest thing to perfect we were going to find he was destined to prevail over Oklahoma this time and you can't change destiny.
Saturday night in San Antonio the Missouri Tigers learned that you can talk the talk but to win championships you have to be able to walk the walk. Stroked by their #1 ranking Missouri walked into the Alamo Dome with their heads held high only to have them knocked off by an irritated Oklahoma team. Destined to prove to the world that they were good enough to play for a BCS championship the only thing that the Tigers could muster was that they were good enough to play with Oklahoma for only a half.
In an exhibition that strength and power is always better than finesse the Oklahoma Sooners held Missouri's vaunted offense to just 17 points while the OU offense pounded the Tigers' defense on their way to a 38-17 thumping of the Big 12 North's best team, collecting their 5th conference championship of the Stoops era along the way.
Oklahoma's defense couldn't have come up with a better game plan. The Sooners blitzed all night forcing Chase Daniel to throw on the run and make quick decisions. The result was a paltry 98 rushing yards for the Tigers and a 23-39 (59%) completion record for Chase Daniel which netted him 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. The Sooners also sacked Daniel twice causing him to have fist pounding fits that I must admit were quite entertaining to watch.
Offensively Oklahoma's attack was crisp and punishing. The Sooners used their passing game to loosen up Missouri's defense. Once the defense was loosened the Sooners rushed to for an average of 4.4 yards per carry setting up the play-action pass allowing OU's offense to have their way. When the dust settled Chris Brown and Allen Patrick combined for 158 yards and three touchdowns while Sam Bradford completed 69.2% of his passed with two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Sam Bradford left the field with the legacy of having the best season ever for a freshman quarterback in the NCAA. Chase Daniel left the field with his Heisman legacy tarnished. The Oklahoma Sooners left as Big 12 champs once again. The Missouri Tigers left wishing that Oklahoma was only 10 points better than they were.
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