Missouri? No. 1? Borders on bizarre, but you better believe it

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The hate between two states now has to make way for the incredulity of entire nation.

Missouri No. 1? Should be Sunday when every poll that matters is released. Should be because previously Mediocre, Moribund and Barely Matters Missouri just won the biggest game it has ever played.

Gary Pinkel's team will play for an even more important trophy next week ... and perhaps the biggest of them all in January. (US Presswire)

That it was against No. 2 Kansas, its biggest rival on a national stage, well, that just adds to the number of dropped jaws.

Should be because the best quarterback in the country just might not be the broad-shouldered kid from Gainesville. It could be the undersized kid from the Dallas suburbs who threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns against the nation's No. 8 defense.

Via the miracle of national television and the kid's rocket arm, the country was introduced formally to Chase Daniel. Too short for the local Longhorns, Daniel came to Columbia three years ago chasing this sort of dream.

Well maybe not this sort of dream. All at once Missouri is No. 1 and Daniel just might be the Heisman front-runner, such as that label means 11 days before the voting deadline.

"You saw it. America saw it," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "I'm going to personally tell you this guy is special. I've said this for a year-and-a-half. America got to see today how special he is. How often does he make plays?"

A lot, which means the program that hasn't been to a major bowl in 38 years, the program that hasn't been ranked No. 1 in 47 years, is worthy of being called the best in the nation.

The glory and hype that went with beating No. 2 Kansas 36-28 will last at least until Oklahoma and Missouri meet in next Saturday's Big 12 title game. But that's getting ahead of one of the best stories of the season, which already has an encyclopedia filled with them.

Coming into this season, there had been three changes at No. 1 in the last 72 AP regular-season polls. Missouri's likely ascension makes it four this season since Oct. 6.

"There's no reason we shouldn't be (No. 1)," said Daniel after a career-high 40 completions on 49 attempts. "We beat the No. 2 team in the nation."

That's the kind of logic that fits for traditional contenders. The Tigers are just trying to find out where they fit in this season of the surreal. The history of the program is of constant underachievement. The school's last outright conference title was in 1960. Since then the only time Missouri has been in the national championship discussion has been as stooge.

Seventeen years ago it was the victim in the infamous Fifth Down game. Colorado turned that extra down into a 33-31 win and eventually a share of the 1990 national championship.