Bye-bye, bye!: Extra week off was not enough to magically heal Missouri QB Brady Cook

It might sound crazy, but it ain't no lie. Brady Cook's bye has gone bye-bye and he will not be returning to the Missouri Tigers this week. Cook has taken a beating over the last month, beginning with the Auburn game, when the QB went to the hospital with an ankle injury, got an MRI and then returned to lead Mizzou to a dramatic final-minute win. He was able to gut it out enough to suit up two weeks ago against Alabama, only to leave that game with a hand injury. (This time, there would be no heroic return.)

With Missouri not playing last week, one would have thought it would have been enough time for Cook to heal up and get back out there for the Tigers. Instead, it will be the Drew Pyne Show for Mizzou, for better or worse vs. Oklahoma. This is not even the fourth-most talked about SEC game of the weekend, but it is imperative for both sides in this rekindled Big 12 rivalry to secure the victory.

I don't know if the Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe will be handed out to make this game feel exceptionally Big Eight, but a win for Mizzou keeps the Tigers' slim College Football Playoff chances alive. At 5-4, a win would secure OU bowl eligibility. While they have two more games left to be played, Oklahoma has to face Alabama and LSU to close out the season, so the best of luck with that, Sooner faithful!

But with regards to this SEC game, ESPN's Pete Thamel has all the details about the status of Cook.

While Pyne does have starting experience at two other Power Four schools (Arizona State and Notre Dame), his play so far this season suggests this is a huge downgrade.

Brady Cook will not be able to go for Missouri vs. Oklahoma on Saturday

This has been a frustrating year for Missouri football. The Tigers played with their food a bit in Week 3 vs. Boston College before eking out a way-too-close-for-comfort victory over the Eagles. After that, they nearly lost to Vanderbilt after being pushed to overtime by the Commodores. Since the Vandy game, Mizzou has looked like a shell of itself vs. quality SEC competition in Texas A&M and Alabama.

In a way, this kind of feels like an SEC fraud bowl, as most pundits were quick to point out that neither of these would-be playoff contenders were anything more than pretenders. Missouri will wind up winning around eight or nine games, while Oklahoma needs to win this one to have any realistic shot at a winning campaign in Brent Venables' second season in Norman. The good news for OU is they might have the quarterback advantage in this one.

Oklahoma pivoted back to Jackson Arnold last week vs. Maine after having gone with Michael Hawkins Jr. ever since the Tennessee debacle way back in Week 4. While Pyne is a quality college backup, Cook would have given the Tigers an even better chance at the win. This game may be in Columbia, but the Sooners will be the slight road favorites in this one vs. the Tigers.