Mizzou, UConn can earn respect on road

A couple of college football's disrespected unbeaten teams have the opportunity to earn a "statement win" later today.

Missouri (5-0), ranked as high as #3 by the computers but just #11 in the polls, can change a lot of minds if they win at #6 Oklahoma (5-1) today. People will be watching: ESPN GameDay will be in Norman this morning, and the 6:30 PM game is nationally televised on Fox Sports Net. (Or not. Apparently the game will be preempted by hockey in some regions.) The Sooners are 12-point favorites. And, bad news for the Tigers: their leading rusher won't play.

Meanwhile, UConn, unranked despite being 5-0 because they haven't played anybody, might crack the Top 25 if they win at 5-1 Virginia today. (It's a 3:30 PM ESPNU game.) The oddsmakers, at least, seem to have a bit of respect for the Huskies; the Cavs are just 3-point favorites.

Personally, I figure that if there's ever a year when UConn, generally a basketball powerhouse and football nobody, can be a force in college football, it's gotta be the year when Kentucky, Kansas and Illinois are all in the top 20.