Cotton Bowl, Missouri vs Arkansas
McFadden tries to go out with a bang.
Missouri Tigers 11-2 (7-1), 1st Big 12 - North Division
VS
Arkansas Razorbacks 8-4 (4-4), 3rd Southeastern - West
The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on New Years Day has many interesting storylines heading into the matchup. Perhaps the biggest story surrounding either team involves Bobby Petrino who made a highly controversial move by bolting from the Atlanta Falcons mid-season to take the vacated head coaching job at Arkansas following Houston Nutt’s departure. The most interesting part is that Petrino will not be on the sidelines, defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will be. The other big storyline heading into the matchup is the battle of Heisman candidates, Missouri’s quarterback Chase Daniel and Arkansas’ running back Darren McFadden.
The seventh ranked Missouri Tigers would have been playing for the national championship had they beaten Oklahoma in either of their 2 meetings this season. Perhaps Missouri would be playing for the national championship had the Big 12 not mandated they play the conference championship game that other conferences such as the PAC10 do not have. In any case, the Tigers come into the game as one of the most prolific passing teams in the country. Chase Daniel has been simply sensational finishing with a total of 33 touchdowns in 13 games.
The 25th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks have had an up and down season all year but ended their regular season on a high note by beating then number one ranked LSU in a dramatic 50-48 overtime shootout. Heisman candidate and runner up Darren McFadden was simply unstoppable. After a slow start to the season, McFadden turned up his play in the latter half and by all accounts should be the first overall pick in the NFL’s entry draft next spring. McFadden had some monster games this season, including a 321 yard game in the win over South Carolina and a 206 yard game in that big win over LSU.
What will be the determining factor in this game will be Missouri’s ability to contain Darren McFadden. If Arkansas can pound McFadden for 5 or more yards per carry, Missouri’s high-octane passing attack won’t even have a chance to get on the field. My guess is that Missouri can’t stop McFadden in what will be his last college football game of his career, Razorbacks in a close 41-35 win.
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