COLUMBIA | The possibility of grabbing the No. 1 ranking in college football was there. On the fingertips of the Missouri Tigers and a sellout crowd of 68,549 at MU’s Memorial Stadium.</p><p>On the tip of every Tigers’ tongue. Ah yes, they could just about taste it after No. 5 Texas upset No. 1 Oklahoma earlier on Saturday.</p><p>Missouri — ranked No. 3 in The Associated Press poll and No. 2 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll — could see itself as the best team in the collegiate game.</p><p>Only on Saturday night, that wasn’t true.</p><p>No. 17 Oklahoma State handed Missouri its first loss after five straight victories.</p><p>Cowboys 28, Tigers 23.</p><p>And now it is just a matter of how far Mizzou will fall in the rankings, how much damage has been done to quarterback Chase Daniel’s Heisman Trophy aspirations.</p><p>Missouri, on top 10-7 at the half, gave up a 68-yard touchdown run to Oklahoma State tailback Kendall Hunter and a 40-yard TD pass reception to Damian Davis in the third quarter.</p><p>Missouri, down 21-17 but driving, threw away a fourth-quarter scoring opportunity when Daniel threw his second interception of the night, straight to Andre Sexton.</p><p>With six and a half minutes to play, Oklahoma State made it 28-17 when Zac Robinson hit Davis with another TD pass on third and 13 from the MU 31.</p><p>Texas’ upset of Oklahoma on Saturday wouldn’t necessarily have given MU the top ranking. Alabama, No. 2 in the AP poll, was idle.</p><p>But a victory over Oklahoma State possibly would have earned a share of No. 1.</p><p> Missouri, which had not had a single three and out offensive possession all season, converted a third and five on its first possession against Oklahoma State in dramatic fashion.</p><p> Tight end Chase Coffman, held up on the east sideline by interference on Oklahoma State’s Tea Tonga, caught a 21-yard pass anyway. With one hand, his right.</p><p> Missouri — which had scored a touchdown on its opening drive of its five previous games — moved quickly to a first and goal at the OSU five.</p><p> But on fourth and less than half a yard, MU Coach Gary Pinkel summoned kicker Jeff Wolfert for an 18-yard field goal.</p><p> Missouri 3-0.</p><p> The decision led to Missouri’s falling behind for the first time since the 9-minute, 11-second mark of the second quarter in the season-opener against Illinois. </p><p> Oklahoma State drove 71 yards in 13 plays, taking a 7-0 lead when Robinson ran 6 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 5:42 left in the opening period.</p><p> Then, on Missouri’s next possession, the Tigers’ string of no three-and-punt possessions ended at 49.</p><p> Daniel threaded a pass between two defenders into the hands of Jeremy Maclin at the Missouri 42 on third and 13. Maclin couldn’t hold on.</p><p> Missouri punted, although it was place kicker Jeff Wolfert — brought on to kick rugby style — on the punt rather than seldom-used MU punter Jake Harry.</p><p> Missouri — which trailed for only 13 seconds against Illinois before Maclin’s 99-yard kickoff return for a TD put the Tigers back on top — took considerably longer to regain the lead from OSU.</p><p> Twelve minutes, 27 seconds to be exact, when Derrick Washington ran over right guard from five yards out with 7:26 left in the second quarter.</p><p> That TD was set up when a gamble by OSU Coach Mike Gundy came up snake eyes.</p><p> On fourth and 17 from the OSU 24, Gundy called for a fake punt with punter Matt Fodge on a straight run. Fodge gained 12 yards but was knocked out of bounds short of the first down by Kenji Jackson.</p><p> Missouri took over at the OSU 36 and scored in five plays.</p><p> It wasn’t a good second quarter for Wolfert. OSU blocked his 34-yard field goal attempt late in the half, and he missed way short on a 51-yard field go try on the final play of the half.</p><p> And the second half wasn’t good enough for Missouri to remain unbeaten.</p><p> Daniel hit Alexander with a 7-yard scoring pass with 4:27 to play. But a two-point conversion pass to Tommy Saunders slipped through Saunders’ hands and was intercepted.