Oklahoma football: Why not play Missouri?

The Kansas City Star reports that Missouri will play at Central Florida on Sept. 29. That fills out the UCF 2012 football schedule; the Golden Knights had been mentioned as a possible opponent for OU, which is still seeking two non-conference games.

But the Star also reported that Mizzou needs two more games to fill out its non-conference schedule. The Tigers are moving to the Southeastern Conference in 2012 and play just eight SEC games. They’ve got non-conference games with Arizona State and Central Florida, but need two more.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Why not an Oklahoma-Missouri series? OU apparently is talking about playing Rutgers in the Meadowlands, and if that came to pass, OU surely would want a home game. Missouri, naturally, wants a home game, too, but Mizzou athletic director Mike Alden recently said the Tigers need six home games. They’ve got five now. So one of Mizzou’s two others could be a road game.

So there’s wiggle room for both OU and MU. If Rutgers falls through, maybe the Sooners could talk Missouri into a home-and-home series, but with the game in Missouri played at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The Tigers have been playing Kansas there, but KU says the series is over, now that Mizzou is bolting the conference. Missouri wouldn’t want such a scheduling discrepancy, but on the other hand, Sooner fans would help fill up Arrowhead. If nothing else, it would be quite the thumb-nosing at KU.

Play in Norman this year and Columbia in some future season. Play in Columbia this year and Norman in some future season. Play in Kansas City this year and call it even. The options are many.

Of course, Bob Stoops and Gary Pinkel just spit out their morning Maxwell House, at the very thought of playing each other.

Let’s see. OU has Notre Dame and maybe Rutgers in New Jersey non-conference, Texas in Dallas, home games against OSU and Kansas State, and road games at TCU, West Virginia and Texas Tech. Good luck talking Stoops into play Missouri, here, there or yon.

Missouri has home games against Georgia, Arizona State and Alabama, plus road games at South Carolina, Central Florida, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M. I don’t see Pinkel getting excited about playing the Sooners on Faurot Field, on Owen Field or in Marshall Field.

But OU needs a game or two. Missouri needs a game or two. Desperate times call for desperate scheduling.