As the season wraps and 2008 draws to a close, a feisty bunch of purple brainiacs seek a 10-win season against a proud but disappointed offense making its last hurrah in a building consecrated in the name of the site of a one-sided, 172-year-old massacre. Take this unique moment to reflect, and remember when ...

• Mizzou, dey wuz contenduz. National title hopes, and a preseason No. 6 ranking, dashed to bits by a pair of two-game slides: First to Oklahoma State and Texas in October, then Kansas and Oklahoma to close out the season, with the Lonhorns and Sooners, especially, leaving Missouri's poll chances and Chase Daniel's reputation scarred for life with a pair of quick knockouts. Like Bradno's Terry Malloy, the Tigers were left smacking of promise unfulfilled.

• Northwestern, another Big Ten profiterole. A suddenly competent Wildcat defense was able to hold off all comers outside of Ohio State and Michigan State, one of the major perks of facing a schedule that conveniently excluded Penn State and Wisconsin. A garbage touchdown at the end of a 48-26 shootout with Purdue marked the only time any opponent managed more than 21 points on the Wildcats, who had allowed 31, 30 and 38 points on average to Big Ten opponents the previous three years.

• What if a Nerd School went 9-3 and nobody noticed? We were treated to all manner of "Hooray for the Smart Kids" featurettes early in the season, when Northwestern held its own outside of the conference, Vanderbilt held the early lead in the SEC East and Duke actually held a winning record into November. Of the three, the Commodores and Blue Devils went 2-13 in the final two months of the year (with one of those wins coming in Duke's upset against Vandy) and only the Wildcats came away above .500 in the end. Though Northwestern's success also produced this, so it's kind of a wash.

• Chase Daniel's on-field prowess made jokes at the expense of his emerging potbelly difficult to execute. Come on home to Texas, Chase, and try to forget all those pizza delivery guy cracks. Including the one at the top of this post.

Seriously, we're going to miss your deadly accuracy, big guy. Signed, everyone not affiliated with a Big 12 secondary.