What if...

By Tiger Fan

I said in Friday's preview that the game against Oklahoma would establish whether the Tigers are contenders or pretenders. Unfortunately, it looks like we are the same old Mizzou. But the amazing thing is, despite how terrible the game was, the Tigers were just a few plays away from winning it. Don't believe me? Ponder this:

What if...

...Chase Coffman hauls in the wide open pass in the first quarter and puts the Tigers up 10-0?

...OU linebacker Zach Latimer doesn't accidently come on a blitz and intercept a tipped pass?

...Tony Temple switches hands to avoid the fumble?

...the offensive line actually blocks somebody so that the Tigers don't lose 21 yards on a fumble?

...the punt unit puts a body on Jason Carter to give Crossett time to punt?

...the refs make the correct call of running into the kicker?

...Mizzou does the smart thing by not even rushing the punter in the first place?

...Mizzou makes smarter play calls on its four chances from inside the two-yard line?

...Xzavie Jackson doesn't make stupid play by throwing Gutierrez out of bounds after the play was dead, extending the OU drive?

It's a sad game to play, but the fact is that if any one of these plays turns out differently, Mizzou could have won. If two or three turn out differently, the Tigers could have blown them out. All in all, it was a terrible day for the Tigers. The officiating was poor, but it didn't cost us the game. We lost because we were getting killed at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. And we lost because Gary Pinkel turned in one of the worst coaching exhibitions I have ever seen. I felt like it was 2004 all over again. Mizzou displayed all the signs of a poorly coached team on Saturday. If these things aren't fixed, we could finish 7-5. Seriously. Just when you thought it was safe to be a Mizzou fan...