Greetings from Missouri.
A year ago this time I was exchanging posts about what improvements Nebraska had made and whether they were enough to close the 35-point gap that existed following the 2008 game. (I soon enough discovered that a player named Suh was all you needed to swing the tide back in your favor.) I would never have imagined that just a year later, we'd be preparing for the last conference meeting between our teams. I can't imagine how excited you must be to move forward with new rivalries against Iowa, Michigan, and others.
Three weeks ago, I never would have imagined that I'd feel up to visiting a Husker message board. Mizzou was fresh off what was probably the most uninspired and sloppy 26-0 victory in the history of football. Meanwhile, I'd watched Taylor Martinez run around the K-State defense like they were standing still. I was fully prepared for Mizzou to lose both A&M and OU and was starting to think the Mizzou-NU game could get ugly.
But then some weird things happened. Mizzou put together a solid game against A&M while Texas temporarily solved the Martinez riddle. And then Mizzou put together an even better game against an OU team that plainly isn't on par with OU teams of the past. And while Martinez rediscovered his magic against OSU, the Blackshirts end up allowing 40+ points. And that brings us to Saturday, which suddenly means a whole lot for BOTH teams. A win for Nebraska puts them in control of the North and puts them on track to play in the B12 title game. A win for Mizzou sustains, at least temporarily, its chances of an undefeated season (I can't believe those words just appeared on my screen). A bad loss for Mizzou renders it a fraud in the eyes of all.
I'll be honest -- I have no idea what to expect. Is our defense fast enough to stay with or contain Martinez? Will Dos Pelinis blitz Gabbert (OU either couldn't or wasn't interested in doing so) and, if so, how will Gabbert react?
I desperately want Mizzou to win, but I'd put my money on Nebraska if I was a betting man. They are, in my opinion, the best team Mizzou will play this regular season and the game is in Lincoln.
Enjoy the game, and best of luck in the B10.