Despite skid, Missouri still has shot at Big 12 North title

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After everything that has gone wrong, including a current four-game losing streak, Missouri still has a chance to reach the Big 12 Championship game.

The Tigers (4-5, 2-4) need wins in their final two games to become bowl-eligible and a Colorado victory at Nebraska on Friday to reach the championship game. The first step comes today, when the Tigers host rival Kansas.

"Honestly, it's pretty remarkable," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's just one of those years that things are shaking out like they are. When you have the month that we had ..."

The Tigers have lost their past four games, blowing leads of 17 points to Oklahoma State and 21 to Kansas State along the way. Tailback Damien Nash said the Tigers, ranked No. 18 to start the season, should never have needed help from other schools to win the struggling North division.

"We put ourselves in that position," Nash said. "And now we just have to get ourselves out of it."

The rest of the North has mirrored Missouri's struggles. At best, the division winner will have a 5-3 record in league play, thanks in part to the North's 3-14 mark against the South. The only wins, by the Tigers, Iowa State and Nebraska, came against lowly Baylor.

"That's a surprise to a lot of people," tackle Scott Paffrath said. "You have to give the South credit; they've played good football."

What that means for the rest of the league is hard to determine, Nash said.

"It's crazy," Nash said. "It's just not knowing what to say about the Big 12 North. Is it just that competitive or just that bad? You don't know."

Kansas (3-7, 1-6) has also lost its past four games. Last Saturday, the Jayhawks blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a 27-23 home loss to No. 6 Texas.

Kansas' top three quarterbacks have been injured in the past three games, leaving Brian Luke to lead the offense. Luke fared well against the Longhorns, going 14-for-25 for 225 yards.

The Kansas offense, the Big 12's worst statistically, will face the Big 12's best defense without starting running back John Randle, who leads the Jayhawks with 540 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Clark Green will replace Randle, who "tore a muscle that is close to an organ" against Texas, Kansas coach Mark Mangino said.