THEY are the “other” Cinderella story in the Big 12 North. The one that’s not undefeated, the one that isn’t coached by a guy who looks like an extra on the Sopranos, the one no one seems to talk about.

No, even in this season full of surprise headlines, the Missouri Tigers have garnered very few. All they’ve done is go 8-1 (4-1 in the Big 12), averaging 42 points per game. They’ve shoved themselves into the BCS and Big 12 races – whether other teams like it or not – and they’ve landed the No. 7 spot in this week’s AP poll.

But let’s face it: Gary Pinkel is no Mark Mangino, whose No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks (8-0, 5-0) have attracted as much attention as his waistline.

Pinkel, explosive quarterback Chase Daniel and the rest of the unheralded Tigers will get their chance at those jumpy Jayhawks on Nov. 24. Maybe by then, people will have noticed them.

In the interim, Mizzou will host free-falling Texas A&M (6-4, 3-3) in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. It’ll be Senior Day, it’ll be loud, it’ll be boisterous, and it’ll be another chance to show the nation they’ve arrived.

“They are something special. They set the groundwork for the foundation that we have been going on,” Daniel, a junior, said of his departing senior teammates. “It’s going to be huge for me personally to send [the seniors] out in a good way with a win because they have done so much for Mizzou.”

That’s not good news for the Aggies, who are operating amid a Dennis Franchione coaching crisis, and who have lost three of their last four by an average of 21.3 points.

“Coach Fran, I have tremendous respect for him and his team,” Pinkel said. “It will certainly be a great challenge for us.”

The fact is, the Tigers are 7-1 against the spread for a reason. Mizzou also has to consider running up scores for BCS purposes, and oh yeah, there’s a little matter of revenge. The Aggies defeated them, 25-19, last season in College Station.

That’s enough for us. Missouri (-191/2) is the pick.

TONIGHT

WEST VIRGINIA (-16) over Louisville: Speaking of revenge, remember the blackout in Louisville last year, and the subsequent 44-34 Cardinals’ victory? A lot has changed on both sides, namely, the Mountaineers can play defense now.

SATURDAY

Wake Forest (+9) over CLEMSON: The Tigers may be caught looking ahead to Boston College, and the Deacons tend to keep things close, win or lose.

MICHIGAN (-21/2) over Wisconsin: Forget the look-ahead to Ohio State. Last season, in the week prior to the rivalry, the Wolverines won by 31, the Buckeyes by 44.

Arkansas (pick) over TENNESSEE: Darren McFadden’s Heisman campaign continues in Knoxville against a shaky defense.

TEXAS (-61/2) over Texas Tech: The Longhorns have saved their season, and we’re not big fans of the Red Raiders on grass.

CINCINNATI (-61/2) over UConn: Hot Huskies deserve all their recent attention. Their story is another of the inspirational ones this season. But the Bearcats can play too.

VIRGINIA TECH (-61/2) over Florida State: Here’s banking on the on-again, off-again Seminoles to be a little down after the big upset in Beantown.

OHIO STATE (-15) over Illinois: Please see the Michigan explainer.

GEORGIA (-2) over Auburn: Too much at stake for the home team, which can still win the SEC East. The Tigers are tough on the road, but the number is favorable.

Arizona State (-7) over UCLA: The Bruins are a banged-up bunch, and Dennis Erickson has a chance to throw up some points and bounce back from the disaster in Eugene, Ore.

Florida (-61/2) over SOUTH CAROLINA: A tough call with so many outside factors in play, such as Steve Spurrier vs. his alma mater. We’ll lean on the better team in a more important spot.

Kansas (-6) over OKLAHOMA STATE: Not going to hype up the Jayhawks in the lead item without backing it up. The Cowboys could be a mental wreck after the 21-point collapse last week vs. Texas.

Boston College (-61/2) over MARYLAND: Matt Ryan makes more headlines on the road than at Chestnut Hill, and the one-loss Eagles now need to focus on the ACC title.

Southern Cal (-4) over CAL: We tend to lean on the Bears, but the Trojans are getting healthier, and if Cal’s version of bouncing back is a three-point win over Washington State, it could have problems here.

OFF THE GRID

TOMORROW

Rutgers (-19) over ARMY: Danger zone with a fragile team, but Greg Schiano sounded awfully confident this week in regard to this tilt and the Knights’ chances of a bounce-back. Expect Ray Rice to top 200 yards in a walk.

Last week: 4-7-4 Overall, 1-1-1 Best Bets, 0-1 Off The Grid. Season: 67-77-6, 13-15-2, 4-5-1.

tsullivan@nypost.com