Oklahoma wins Big 12 title

By Ryan Killian
Daily Texan Staff

SAN ANTONIO - No. 1 Missouri ended the 2007 regular season in the only fitting way - with a loss to No. 9 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship.
On the last day of the season, the Tigers' 38-17 loss ended their hopes at playing in their first ever national championship game and upset an already inconceivably convoluted BCS picture.
"I would like to think if you're 11-2 it's somewhat of a success," head coach Gary Pinkel said. "Our players are certainly very disappointed. That's what they should be."
Instead, the Tigers probably won't even play in a BCS bowl of any sort, and the Sooners clinched an automatic bid to the Fiesta Bowl - and a shot at slipping into the title game.
"Ya'll just voted [Missouri] the No. 1 team in the country in the last week of the year, and we beat them on a neutral field by 21 points," head coach Bob Stoops said. "Hopefully it matters to somebody."
A rushing touchdown from Chase Daniel with 14 seconds left in the first half, and the ensuing game-tying two-point conversion seemed to give Missouri the momentum heading into halftime, but the Tigers couldn't muster any sort of offense in the final two quarters. The Sooners though, were almost unstoppable.
Oklahoma took the lead for good on a four-yard rushing touchdown from Allen Patrick late in the third quarter and scored another touchdown less than two minutes later after a bobbled Daniel pass ended up in the hands of a defender.
Curtis Lofton returned the interception 26 yards to set up a touchdown that made the score 28-14.
Missouri managed a field goal to begin the fourth quarter, but the Sooners answered right back with a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to widen the margin again.
A 26-yard Oklahoma field goal with 3:42 on the clock ended the game's scoring.