Tigers autopsy

I started this season thinking that maybe the Missouri Tigers were actually a top 10 team and possibly a national championship contender. As the season squeaked to a close last night with an overtime against Northwestern in the Journalism Alamo Bowl, it's clear that was never the case.

I think it was Bill Parcells who first said, "you are what your record says you are." Missouri IS 9-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big 12.

Don't get me wrong, the program has come a long way in a short time. But it's ridiculous to even think about a national title until you can prove you can beat be competitive with the Oklahomas and Texases of your own conference.

Here's the reality check on what the Mizzou Tigers football team really IS:

-- Athletic, but not strong
-- Fast, but not quick
-- Standout players (Maclin, Daniel, Coffman, Weatherspoon), but also too many sub-par weak links, especially on defense.
-- Creative gimmicky, but not necessarily clever in play calling.

That mix is enough to beat up on Colorado and K-State, but it's never going to reach the next level until the program gets deeper, stronger and more balanced.