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This showdown or shootout – or whatever – doesn't have a fancy name, sponsor, Fried Cake on a Stick or pig racing.

Caveat: Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, Mo. is really tasty, though.

No. 17 Oklahoma State at No. 3 Missouri is not a matchup of top-five teams. The AT&T Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, of course, is, and it will surely earn more attention here and nationally.

But the Cowboys and Tigers are two of the Big 12's other three undefeated teams, and two of just 15 remaining unbeatens nationally.

Their clash Saturday at Faurot Field could bring point totals in the triple digits and certainly be revealing. Does Mizzou still look like a national-title contender heading into Austin the following week? Just how good are Mike Gundy's Cowboys?

This is the first meeting with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since 1976.

"We're trying to do the best we can to keep everything on an even note," Gundy said. "We haven't arrived on either side of the ball, and we will continue to get better."

Loogie-gate? Mizzou star quarterback Chase Daniel told reporters postgame that Nebraska was "one of the dirtiest team I've [ever] played," and said he was spat upon by a Husker before the Tigers' 52-17 victory Saturday.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini told the AP on Sunday he would contact Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel to discuss. He said that it was "unacceptable" if it happened, but he saw nothing dirty on tape.

The Huskers, fresh off their biggest home defeat since 1955, next travel to unbeaten, No. 7 Texas Tech.

Speaking of: The Red Raiders' "You Choose 2008" promo on www.passorcatch2008.com is worth a look. The football awards campaign for quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree is staged as a political election campaign.

"Football's don't magically fly," Harrell says, tongue-in-cheek. "They don't. [Long pause]. It's science."

If you don't succeed: Good thing SMU, loser of four straight, keeps giving it the ol' college try.

The Ponies showed gumption in pulling off a play in their loss to Central Florida that resulted in a 94-yard touchdown from QB Bo Levi Mitchell to receiver Aldrick Robinson.

The play had been open three other times. Once executed, it became the second-longest receiving play in SMU history.

"We were going to give that one another shot," coach June Jones said. "It is all a part of learning and trusting."

Sherman's sunshine: Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman had a hard time finding positives in the Aggies' loss at Oklahoma State, especially when he thought of the scoreboard, which read 56-28.

But he's trying.

"As disappointed as I am right now," he said, "I'll see some positives that will excite me and get me back by Tuesday [or] Wednesday."

Staff writers Chuck Carlton and Bobbi Roquemore contributed to this report.